The virtue of understanding means using your mind to think clearly, paying careful attention to see the meaning of things. An understanding mind gives you insights and wonderful ideas. An understanding heart gives you empathy and compassion for others. Understanding is the power to think and learn and also to care.
The virtue of truthfulness means being honest in your words and actions. You don't tell lies even to defend yourself. Don't listen to gossip or prejudice. See the truth for yourself. Don't try to be more than you are to impress others. Be yourself, your true self.
I read the meaning to both virtues throughout the day and whenever I dealt with someone at work or a friend I stopped to reassess the virtues in the back of my mind. I tried my best to analyze and understand every situation I confronted today. And when walk-in’s would come into the office asking for me, instead of having my assistant say I'm in a meeting I practiced the truthfulness virtue and accepted them with an open door. Usually I would get stressed at the situation, upset that the person took 10 minutes of my precious, valuable time but today I realized that person walking in caused me to stop and breath for a moment which felt pretty pleasant.
In my yoga class tonight, I also practiced truthfulness and understanding with myself; during a usual class, I dedicate my practice to someone or something that I want to send light and energy too, or someone that might be in need of a little love and bliss. Tonight I dedicated the practice to myself – because truth and understanding comes from within ourselves in order for us to radiate it to someone else, and we are just in as much need of truth and understanding as anyone else, especially since we are usually harder on ourselves.
Today's deed made me realize that love is understanding, seeing, hearing and accepting someone for who they are. In today's day in age people hold a certain expectation of how someone should or shouldn't be; everyone's expectations are different but it still doesn’t make them right.
We have all been guilty of judging others, but when you let go of needing others to live according to your 'right' way, you realize that your life is filled with love and understanding rather than stress and confrontation.
When you show up without criticism and judgment and with understanding in your heart, it allows people to be exactly who they are and love is exchanged.
Tonight as I sit in bed writing this post, I feel at ease and peaceful and have learned that I want to live my life with these two particular virtues. Try practicing your day with a little bit of understanding and truthfulness and you’ll see just how rewarding it will turn out to be.♥
