Cleaning Up Mind Pollution. It was one of those “off” days. By the… | by Genevieve Wachutka | Medium

It was one of those “off” days. By the end of it, I had a healthy-sized pit in my stomach. I reflected on my words and actions throughout the day, beating myself up over what I said or how I

had carried myself. Conversations could have been meaningful, but instead I contributed a stream of words that had no value. I was running on autopilot, filling the spaces with whatever

garbage floated to the surface. Tired stories and opinions picked up from the streams of bullshit flowing abundantly. It pained me to think about it. If only I could do it over. I’ve come

along way, but a pattern of mine is overthinking, overanalyzing, and putting myself through the emotional ringer of shame. On this particular day, I came across a message that knocked me out

of this cycle of shame and regret: IT’S SIMPLE: JUST STOP. Live in integrity with who you want to be (cut out the drama, the gossip). Stop doing the things that make you feel like shit, and

if you make a mistake, don’t beat yourself up. Do better next time. Learning is part of the process. I took a breath and forgave myself a little bit. My mindset shifted, and I felt clearer.

I started to look forward to the next day, and the next opportunity to do it differently. So I began to reflect: where did I go wrong? The translation and true meaning of the word “sin” is

“missing the mark.” To sin, therefore, is to be out of alignment. To be off. Religions have put a lot of baggage on the concept of “sin” (what could be more fear inducing than the concept of

a mortal sin?), but to see it as “missing the mark” gives us room to improve. It’s not about fear and punishment, but a way to look at our shortcomings and _DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT._ The

_Hermetica_, a book at the heart of the Mystery School tradition, has an interesting teaching on sin: _the number one “sin” is Godlessness, and the second is __MERE OPINION._ Let’s break

this down: Godlessness is the state of being without God. Rejecting the divine within you, and all around you. No matter your spiritual beliefs or religion, whatever your personal expression

of spirituality, as humans, godliness is the essence of who you are. It is in your DNA. Divorcing yourself from your own godliness, your own divinity, is missing the mark in the biggest way

possible. Forgetting who you are and what you are capable of. Forgetting your potential. When we trample ourselves with guilt, shame, and self-loathing we are missing the mark. We are

divorcing ourselves from our own godliness. Why do we do this? The more I sit with this teaching, the next piece unfolds: THE SECOND BIGGEST SIN IS MERE OPINION. Opinions are the stories we

tell ourselves. The judgements we make about the world. The attachments we form to a certain idea or perspective. At the end of that “off” day I realized the pit in my stomach was heavy from

the weight of those tired, old opinions I’d been sharing (and feeding myself). This is a form of mind pollution, and they came flowing out of me. Opinions are lifeless. They’re old forms we

hold onto. When we let go of opinions, we are free to see the world as it is. Now, there is a difference between a _perspective _and an _opinion._ Perspective is a like a point of view, and

is much more fluid than an opinion. You could view the same thing from many different perspectives, realizing there is no “Truth” with a capitol “T.” Each perspective is valid. Opinion is a

point of view that you have become attached to. You hold onto it and it shapes your view of reality, affecting your ability to see things clearly. Some of the most toxic opinions are the

ones we carry about ourselves, and cut ourselves off at the knees: “I’m not good enough, smart enough, etc.” Opinions are often built into our subconscious programming, formed through our

experiences and internalized as Truth. Each one is a wedge between your self-image and your true being. Masking your true essence, your divinity. Crushing your sense of worthiness, and your

power. The path to Know Thyself and living your potential brings greater awareness of these insidious opinions, which is the first step to letting them go. But in the end it is up to us to

just do it. Flush the toilet and let that shit go. _Originally published at __genevievewachutka.com__ on February 22, 2018._