The Stories We Make Up

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I  recently made up a story. I was in Sedona with a friend and took a  photo as we approached the Stupa. When I viewed the image on the screen,  I saw a blue hue across the entire photo. I was surprised to see it and  immediately wondered what was “wrong” with my camera. My mind went to  the recent application off Liquid Armor that had just been  applied to   the viewer glass at Staples when it was  also applied to my phone.  In that moment, I further made up the  thought that my viewer screen on my camera was ruined and felt shaken  wondering how I would correct it, if possible.

Surprisingly, I somehow didn’t go into some outburst of anger or go into fear and despair.  I observed myself in this mild reaction to the  situation, for I did feel concern, and took only a few more photos during the day.  Figured I’d deal with it later, at home.

Here’s  the thing. My photos did all have the blue hue, which I found I could  readily correct in Photoshop.  Still, I believed I needed the tool of  seeing my images on the viewer, so I could adjust camera settings, etc.,  while shooting in the field.  How would I do with that with the blue  hue?
 

Then I checked my camera settings and saw I had unknowingly  set white balance to “tungsten”—yes, causing the blue tone.  I reset  white balance and the problem was resolved.  Nothing had been done.   No harm; nothing had ever been done.

How many times do we make up stories  about what’s happening in our lives?  About what we perceive in others  and in ourselves?  They are stories we make up. That is all. When we are  ready and willing to go beyond our stories--all based on our present  beliefs and on our past, we will experience everything differently. When  we are done with our stories we will know nothing has been done.  We  will be free of limiting and erroneous beliefs and be available to the  peace, prosperity and joy that is ours in this present moment. Health,  incidentally, is a part of being prosperous.  We can choose the experience  of “nothing has been done” even now.

Most of us spend our lives,  our precious breath, making up stories. Some beautiful. Some pleasant. Stories nonetheless.  Without the stories we make up, there is no  person behaving badly, denying us what we want or who is somehow “taking  our peace”.  There is no self not good enough, undeserving or in any  way flawed. Like with my camera, we will gratefully recognize that nothing has been done, that we made it all up, and can be free to join with the person in peace, and even in love.