Here’s an older image that I just  updated…
F.E.A.R….False Evidence Appearing Real…

It seems to be so easy to fall into that “trap”…
often tying in with imagined “fears” about the emotional or physical “safety”
of one’s loved ones or oneself…

Perhaps, a bit like creating “imagined courtrooms” in our minds,
at times, a continuing challenge for me…actually today..
and perhaps, at times,  for others, too

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Not only might that “hypothesizing false evidence” dynamic happen
within that “imagined courtroom” we may have created,
but sometimes we might even expand upon it!

Can you believe we do that?!?!
Well, I guess that sometimes we all do

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When that dynamic is active,
it really can seem a bit like a “courtroom” in one’s own mind…
often not an enjoyable place to be

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Or perhaps, the imagined,  hypothesized courtroom of another person’s mind?
Perhaps, projecting ideas onto others about what they might be thinking,
or how or why they might be reacting in a certain manner…
“ouch!”

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Sometimes an active imagination can be wonderful,
but within this dynamic….
uh oh!…it’s often not…

Perhaps, one might learn to limit or contain that imagination…

Or, another idea…to use that imagination in a positive manner…
create an “alternative environment”
one that is kinder and more compassionate

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an “environment” that includes more positives…
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I think it’s really important to nurture these qualities,
kindness, perspective, understanding, awareness, acceptance and compassion
The more we nurture, practice and come back to these,
the more often our minds will tend in that direction…

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With further reflection,
some important perspectives or questions might also include…

“life isn’t a courtroom”

“creating  ‘courtrooms’ in our minds leads to no positives”

“what’s ‘real’ anyways?”

“what might seem ‘real’ to me might not seem  ‘real’ to another”

We might have several “courtrooms” in our minds,
just like in the actual justice system,
each courtroom might be part of our habitual patterns of:
“I’m not good enough”…  “I’ve offended someone”… “Someone doesn’t care”
(Ah ha!…there are some specific examples in here…they were here after all)

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You name it, there’s probably a “courtroom” for it…
and there doesn’t need to be…
they’re often just habitual patterns…and they lead to no positives…

Perhaps…
drop the case!
the courtroom, the judge, the prosecuting attorney, the defense attorney,
the “evidence,” the witnesses,  the exhibits, the jury….
drop the whole thing!

And…maybe there’s no such thing as “real” the way I think of it…

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Sometimes…
letting go of thinking or trying to figure it out…
the best solution might simply be….

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Sometimes…
perhaps, “work with it” to shift into more positive perspectives.

But sometimes…
“Nope! The judging mind won’t be swayed!”
Then the best idea might be to imagine and live by….

“dismissed!”

just learn to “let it go”

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whew…
now if I can just “do” that!

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(the following was added a bit later…reflecting further)

Life doesn’t need to be a “courtroom”….
even though we might continue to “do” that,
our lives seldom benefit from that perspective
“Courtrooms” are about judging and about opposites…
right and wrong, good and evil, win and lose, better than and worse than
guilty and innocent, us and them, mine and yours

I don’t want to be in that environment any more…
it’s damaging to myself…and others…

….here we go….
whether thinking in metaphors of courtrooms, evidence, cases…
or perhaps…..
…clouds…

“just let it go”

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let it go

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(A question for readers, added later: My  husband (Kathy’s husband P.)   has suggested that specific examples of hypothesized ideas might be helpful here… to take this concept from abstract to more real life…in case people don’t get the ideas. But I hesitate to add examples….it’s hard enough to be noticing these hypothesized ideas that are not reasonable, without writing them down for others to see!  Do readers feel that examples might be helpful? Or do you get what is being written about?   btw….Kathy’s H. is very steady, calm, easy going  and self assured…and doesn’t seem to  hypothesize much…. maybe other people don’t do this? Any feedback on whether examples would help? )