To thine own self be true has many meanings. One meaning is to keep your vibration high. To keep your vibration high is a good reason to stay away from judgment. When you judge, when you condemn, no matter how right you may be, you are stooping to a lower level. When you see a wrong, and you condemn it and the people who perpetuate the wrong, you are sending out that vibration to the world, the very vibration you do not want to exist. You are saying: "Look here, look at this grievous wrong!" You are saying, "The sky is falling!" You are saying: "There are terrible things going on!" And so, no matter how well-meaning you are, you pull yourself and the world to the very level of that which you oppose. You spread it around. You are planting weeds rather than flowers in your garden.

Weeds are in the garden, yet better to get your attention off the weeds and onto the beautiful flowers. If you really want to make the garden beautiful, talk about the flowers.

When you emphasize the weeds in the world, you are making yourself self-righteous. When you point to that which you know is not right, you are saying, "How awful that is. How good I am." When you point to the people who do what you know is unloving, you are saying, "They're so terrible. I'm glad I'm not." You may think that self-righteousness feels good to you, yet only for a moment. Give up the idea that you are meant to be the prosecutor of the world. You are meant to uplift the world. So, then, uplift it.

Instead of pointing out that which makes you and everyone you speak to feel bad, say: "Look at the lustrous wonderfulness of the world." Say: "Look at all the good that people do on Earth." Point to the sun, beloveds. It shines. There is goodness in the world.

You can hammer rusted nails into the earth, or you can hammer gold nails. What do you wish to fill the world with, rust or gold?

Do not think that by extolling life that you are being laissez-faire or negligent. You are being energetic. Do not think that by extolling life, that you are being cowardly or pretending. Quite the opposite. It takes courage to put your attention on light. It also takes awareness.

If you want the world to change, then change what you talk about. Exclaiming error has not yet been successful at removing error.

Declaiming against war has not brought peace. Despite all the proclamations and declarations against war, wars crop up. Shaking your fist at war is a form of fighting. Give peace instead. Gain peace, beloved, and you will give peace. Where there is peace, who will start a war? Instead of cries denouncing war, have cries that announce peace and so bless the family of man. Speak not against your brother.

Hold in your heart the desire to love your enemy. The statement, Love your enemy, is a more powerful statement than you have imagined. When you love your enemy, where can enemy exist? Denounce those whom you would call enemy, and they are right in your face.

Denouncement doesn't work. Or it works very well in multiplying that which you want to erase.

Be for something rather than against. Do not be anti. Whatever you protest, you are making. And now you know, and now you allow peace to ascend. Now you raise the world high on your shoulders simply by what you no longer present to the world. Now you announce rather than denounce.

When you catch yourself complaining or protesting, raise the world and yourself a notch higher. Envision what you want, and so you extend what you want.