The following reflection is led by Tara Brock.

To access more of my meditations or reflections, or to join my email list, please visit tarabrock.com.

So let's pause here. Let's take a moment to invite you to check in to where there might be a relationship that could use your deepened attention and presence.

Just do a little bit of practice right here on the spot.

So see if you can bring to mind some situation where you get it conflictual, you know, reactive with somebody, family, friend, colleague.

This isn't not a major, major hostility, but where you get into a pattern where you know that you're reacting from your ego and they're reacting from theirs.

And you might imagine one situation that is representative.

And you might ask yourself, what's my intent right here? Am I trying to protect myself from hurt?

Am I trying to be right to improve my position to get something I want? Am I trying to get back?

And whatever you notice on the egoic want level, just to regard it with compassion.

You might think of it like you're the ocean. It just waves. It's a pattern of waves that's developed. This compassionate towards it.

In fact, the more you're kind towards that ego level, the more you'll be able to drop into something deeper.

So you might sense what happens if you really are kind towards whatever's going on inside you.

And then investigate more deeply. What's my deepest intention? What really matters?

If you and this person were at the end of your life, what would you wish?

If you can let your deepest aspiration fill you, see look through the eyes of your more awake self, that the other person may be sensing a bit where they're vulnerable, what they need.

And you might notice if there's more of a sense of possibilities, choices that open up when you're remembering your deepest intention.

Knowing that this takes repeating many rounds, where attention goes, energy flows.

You might imagine over and over that you could be pausing with this person or with children, parents, partner, friends, noticing what the intention is in the moment with kindness.

But then saying, well, what really matters here?

And we know we don't want to go through the decade, sleepwalking, chasing after comforts and pleasures, caught in judging and blame.

We don't want to miss the fullness of love and aliveness and mystery that's who we are.

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