‘Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.’ T.S. Eliot
Ever since I was a child my parents have guided and provided for me with plenty of good intentions. Some of them were beneficial to me but some I simply rebelled against. I would probably say that some of the advice I received actually had the opposite effect to the original intent. It is not really their fault of course.
Many people in the world have good intentions. We can see this in many social and political movements today. They often start with good intentions but as time passes and when more people become involved the original direction somehow changes. It gradually becomes a ‘us versus them’ situation where one group get into the habit of criticising the other group in a reactionary way. A good intention can easily turn into a disaster. Not only do the movements lose momentum, sadly they even lose support. We have seen this time and time again throughout history. What causes this gradual loss of direction and momentum? I think a big part has to do with the state of mind.
If something is born out of fear and insecurity, it probably doesn’t have a good foundation. Whereas if it is born out of joy and a higher level of consciousness, the foundation will be solid. True change has to come from a higher place, a higher aspiration where there is minimal judgement and negativity.
In the same vein our actions should be guided by a higher intelligence which transcends the usual ego self. Only when we come from a place of joy and love can we make real changes in this world. This process often starts with ourselves at an individual level and involves a lot of self-examination. This is also an essential aspect of spirituality.