Ok. I admit it. I hate cleaning windows. Like most of us, the task often gets delayed until the last possible moment. After craning my neck to look around the spots on the glass to see outside, I finally relent and get the window cleaner and the newspaper. My most recent attempt at cleaning windows taught me a valuable lesson. No matter how hard I scrubbed on the inside, I couldn't get the specks off the outside of the glass. At times in life, we work, blame ourselves and make excuses for why things aren't showing up as clearly as we think they should. All the while, the problem that won't go away exists outside of us, as we attempt to clean up an illusion - something out there pretending to appear like it's an internal problem.

Smack dab in the middle - Lessons out there
On track with what we know as true, we see the specks of our faults showing up in the most inopportune places. The lessons from life intrude in the most obvious location; the biggest obstruction to seeing our world lands right in front of the field of vision. Like on a windshield, the biggest splotch comes right at eye level - rarely on a peripheral point on the glass. Scrubbing on the inside does no good. We are forced to reach outside of ourselves to clean the path for our clear vision. We must remove the rain-speckled spots of our perceived shortcomings in order to see down the road of our true potential.

Condensation - insight
I grew up in Michigan - the Great Lakes state. Together with great variations in temperature throughout the year, the state humidity level stays high. In the summer, car windows fog up with condensation, and in the winter, windows require defrosting. So, most of the time, the view from the driver's seat is cloudy and gray. Wipers won't work to open up the field of sight, since the problem, in these cases, rests internally. When we think about how we fog up our own windows to the world, we see that many times we act as our own worst enemy. No amount of scraping or wanting the outside world to change to accommodate us will alter what's going on inside of us. The spirit of life lives within each of us, and remains the point of origin for all When the vision of who you are becomes cloudy, know that you alone can wipe off the condensation of self-doubt and insecurity.

Bird droppings
Whether parked under a tree, or speeding down a highway, our feathered friends find ways to pepper the windows of our cars. Like an automobile, the vehicle we travel in - the body temple - also receives wasteful assaults from others with whom we share the planet. We can reduce the probability of being a target by not lingering beneath telephone wires where we know birds congregate, but seldom do we recognize when our human friends unknowingly release their spiritual refuse on us. We can spend our lives sidestepping being a receptacle for negativity and focus our energy elsewhere. If we keep a mental bulls-eye on our back, we attract more unwanted attacks on our spirit. Better to know that unwanted messes come from our fauna and human friends, and understand that it takes a loving spirit to recognize the difference between what someone else puts upon us, and who we truly are.

Smears
Smears frustrate us. We try using various cloths and towels to wipe windows clean, yet smudges, smears and streaks appear when we step back to take a better look. Annoyed that our efforts to clean resulted in a bigger mess than initially presented, we scrub harder, often using the same rag that caused the smear in the first place. In the windows of our world, the methods we use to clean our spirit may also leave streaks and smears of our past. When we take a moment to examine the exercises we endure and tools we use to rid ourselves of functional but murky circumstances and perspectives, we see that changing our processes may provide us the relief we seek. Along with learning that the daily newspaper makes the best glass cleaner, I found that approaching uncertain circumstances with common sense and a pure heart, dissolves fears and illusions which block my ability to see the world clearly.

Wiping clean
In life, we face the inevitable distractions and hindrances to our clear vision. The illusion of the world outside of us combines with the internal blockages we create. In order to develop the acumen to discern an external speck from an internal one, we rely on the depth of our perception to distinguish our role. Often, life presents us with challenges in the midst of our vision and in the pinnacle of our troubles, to ensure we pay attention, and address the weaknesses immediately. Only then can we carefully select the friends and energy we choose to engage with and use the highest and best tools to keep the vision of our life purpose clear and our path true. May you see clearly the abundant spirit within you and easily remove that which blocks your greater good!

Taking a quiet sideways glance at life, Marlene Buffa offers insight through her words from experiences. A student of new-thought teachings, Marlene finds practical spirituality around every corner and seeks wisdom through observation of life's inter-relationships. Sometimes playful, sometimes poignant, always thought-provoking, her writing inspires readers in meaningful ways. You can visit her website at WordsofMind.com and write to her by email.