Observing But Not Absorbing

To observe means we take a new, appropriate mental position in whatever
situation, or in whatever relationship, we find ourselves. *Observation is a
silent skill — a skill we need to learn if we are to assess clearly* *what
positive changes are needed to be made in the self in a particular situation
or relationship*.

If we fail to learn this art of observing, we are likely to react and absorb
ourselves in the negativity of the person, or event. We get lost in the
quicksand of 'what's wrong?' which prevents us from putting things right.  As
we absorb and fill ourselves with negative  emotion,  we  become  heavy and
remain helplessly rooted  to  the ground.  The gravity of overload does not
allow us to rise above a situation and to understand the reality of what is
happening. As a result, we lose perspective and overreact.
If we wish to understand how the mental position of observation gives us the
power of perspective, we can look at the example of the bird and the ant.
The ant, extremely busy, running here and there, scrambling over everything
in its rush to find and collect food, will see only what is in front of its
nose. The bird, on the other hand, leaves the earth and, as it flies higher
and higher, starts to see the bigger picture, compared to when it was on the
ground, or on the branch of a tree. Seeing the whole picture, it has a
completely different perspective. It is only then that it can truly see
where to go and what to do. When we get absorbed in a situation or
relationship, we lose perspective, we are like the ant, we get too involved
in the details, missing the 'obvious', and cannot imagine, or think of other
possibilities.