From the Vastness of the Ocean come waves. Along with the waves from the Vastness of the Ocean, come sailing vessels, come logs, comes bilge. No matter what drifts, it drifts upon the same Ocean. Sweet treats and sour fruit ride on the same Ocean. There is nothing else for them to ride on.
When you spot them, they have come to the surface. The surface results from a depth. There would not be surface if there were no depth. Water is taken from a well or a spring or a tap, yet water comes from deeper than that. There is the ultimate Source as well as the perceived.
The impulses of your thoughts come from somewhere too. Even your flightiest thoughts arise from a deep reservoir. They run through a sluice. The way a pasta machine can give you different shapes, so do you mold your thoughts. Thoughts that arise from the pure Ocean appear on the surface in shapes of various kinds. Some keep their fullness. Others get misshapen. Various flavors and shapes of thought arise from the same Ocean.
You do not have to imbibe every thought that pops up. Some thoughts are flotsam and jetsam. They have no bearing. You don’t pick those up. Let them float away. There are better thoughts to pick up from the waves of the Ocean. Run your mental fingers through the waves, and pick up the fish you want. And when fish are too small, you throw them back in. It never was meant for you to reel in small thoughts.
Thoughts are changing things, and you can change them. You certainly don’t have to collect them. Allow one thought at a time to reign. Pick up in both hands those that are treasures. Drop the others like hot potatoes. Why would you carry something you don’t want? Thoughts are not intended to be leaches. They are meant to be rafts or balloons that take you somewhere you want to go. You would not choose a leaky boat. You would desert a sinking ship, not sail on it.
You would not run up to a sign that said: This Way to Ugly. You wouldn’t buy a ticket. You would have no hesitation. You would see clearly enough that that is not where you want to go.
With alacrity, you would welcome a sign that reads: This Way to Beauty.
In the fine print, you will see that this way to beauty is the same as the way to love, harmony, and richness of wealth. You would wait in line for these. You would not wait in line for Ugly.
Throw your anchor into the depths of the harbor you want. Little fish will swim in. They will swim out as well. When a weakling of a thought arises, kiss it goodbye. “Little thought, you are not for me any longer, if you ever were. Whatever guise you may come in, I know the difference between big fish and little fish. From now on, I am on the lookout for Great Fish. What would I possibly want with the small ones anymore? I have had enough of minnows. Just so with my thoughts. I will catch Great Thoughts. I will pull in no others. My thoughts will precede me, and so I proceed to Great Thoughts, for they will take me where I want to be.
“Now I am a great hunter in life. I will let the little matters go; I will keep God and Love before me. No longer will I squander myself on the small thoughts. I am meant for Great Game. I am no longer a hood on the street who looks for small opportunities. From now on I choose the thoughts I have. The thoughts I choose will set my course, and this choosing makes me very happy.”