“The Jail That You Create”

I am a Judge in the City of East Cleveland.  I am also a Yoga / Meditation Teacher.  With those two seemingly different career paths I gain a unique insight into what causes suffering in the lives of so many people.  One cause of suffering is the fact that so many of us live in jails that we have created on our own.

The jail is comparison.  We spend and wastes so much time in comparison.  We compare the car we have with someone else’s.  We compare where we live with the homes of others.  We compare the person who we are in relationships with to others.  The list goes on and on.  The sad fact is that we spend so much time in comparison that we have created a mindset of lack.

When you have a mindset of lack you are more likely to be depressed. When you have a mindset of lack you are more likely to be a hard person to work with and thereby you’ll have difficulty keeping a job.  When you have a mindset of lack you will not be able to see the opportunities that are present in your life.  

The worst scenario that I have witnessed as a Judge is the mindset of lack leading to criminal activity like: 
Boosting;
Robbing;
Stealing; 
Selling Drugs;
Committing scams….


How do we break out of the jail of comparison and walk in to a life of success, abundance and blessings?

You Have The Ability To Break Out Of This Jail: Every day, every moment is an opportunity to stop living in the negative space of comparison. Here is the key, you have to monitor and then control your thoughts.  Monitoring your thoughts means being aware of exactly what you are thinking and then feeling, good or bad.  Once you are aware you can then stop that thought right in its track.  The hard part is that you will have to do this all day long because the mind is a busy body that will take you down a rabbit hole over and over again.  

Be Thankful For It All: There is a bible verse that says, “Count it all joy” James 1:2.  I believe that this verse means that we can choose to  find contentment in every situation.  I know that may sound hard and you’ll say, “Judge, how do I find contentment in death, and other bad situations?”  Here is the key, understand that as long as you have breath, as long as you are living, you have the opportunity to turn your sorrow into a smile. Remember the rain doesn't last always.  Even when you are in the lowest valley there will be a chance to rise up again.

Surround Yourself with People Who Lift You Up: Comparison is made worse when you are constantly around people trying to impress, brag or criticize.  Dismiss those people from you life immediately.  


So the next time that you walk into or are put into the jail of comparison, use these tools to get out of the dark and on to your life of success.