May I accept reality as it is (if only Trump would)

For quite a while I've enjoyed a loving-kindness form of meditation where I contemplate these words, repeated twice more with "May you..." and "May all...."

May I be happy.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy.
May I be at peace.

Lately, though, I've been experimenting with more of a catchall phrase.

May I accept reality as it is.

Perhaps this sentiment has become more attractive to me after three and a half years of suffering through the presidency of Donald Trump, who lies incessantly and wrongly believes that reality is something that can be bent to fit his own desires.

Like, to be re-elected. So Trump has taken to claiming that everything is going fine with the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ignoring the inconvenient truth that cases have skyrocketed after states began reopening too soon.

But leaving Trump aside -- which is what American voters need to do in the November election -- there's still a lot to like about "May I accept reality as it is."

In a sense, it is a shortcut way of saying much the same thing as "May I be happy; May I be safe; May I be healthy; May I be at peace."

Most obviously, happiness and peace of mind have a lot to do with accepting reality as it is, rather than as we would like it to be. If there is no difference, or at least a minimal difference, between what is actually happening with our life and what we want to happen, then happiness and peace of mind are more likely to be ours.

When it comes to being safe and healthy, these appear to be more objective than happiness and peace of mind. So whether or not I accept the reality of how safe and how healthy I am seemingly wouldn't affect the actuality of my safety and health.

Even so, it makes sense that being firmly in touch with the reality of my current safety and health increases the chance that I'll be able to maintain or improve how safe and healthy I am. For example, if I haven't checked to see whether a smoke detector is working, my safety is at risk. Ditto if I'm unaware of my blood pressure and cholesterol level.

So on the whole I'm becoming a fan of May I accept reality as it is. Sure, I can quibble with myself about "as it is," since apart from the rigorous methods of science, reality appears differently to different people. Thus part of me prefers May I accept reality as it appears.

Either way, though, reality is our best friend and we should do our best to accept it. I just wish Trump felt that way. Thankfully, Joe Biden does, so there's hope after November.

Comments

[Spence Tepper]

Parents ' faith in Trump killed their daughter.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/07/florida-carsyn-davis-coronavirus/?outputType=amp

[Sonia]

There seem to be countless pockets of "consensus reality" which together form the chaotic nature of the human collective consciousness. Lately I've changed from believing in the power of intention to believing in the power of attention. They say time is money. Well, attention is time and money and power (power in either the good or bad sense--it's up to the individual). What we give our attention to will shape us and empower that particular "consensus reality". The fact is, many are deluded or selfish... perhaps dishonest. And since all of our thoughts and actions contribute to the ever changing nature of Reality, it's good to give attention, give thought, give power to the consensus realities which are benevolent and are useful and beneficial to all.

[Merle Bjorn]

Blogger wrote: "So Trump has taken to claiming that everything is going fine with the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ignoring the inconvenient truth that cases have skyrocketed after states began reopening too soon"

Here's an inconvenient truth for those who want the virus to continue to be bad and harm Trump's re-election:

https://outkick.com/coronavirus-daily-deaths-down-92-4-from-peak-have-declined-ten-straight-weeks/

[nohoax]

@Bjorn

Outkick? Clay Travis? Really? This is what his wife had to say about him:

“He might be looked at as the person who supported Trump when he went after black athletes,” she said. “I hope he’s not remembered for that in history.”

Also, no one wants the virus to continue.