Heaven or Hell

Heaven and hell....we all have our own perspectives of them. Hell seen as unbearable, torturous, hot as Hades. Heaven seen to be peaceful, welcoming, full of radiance.  Our viewpoint, and just how we react or respond to each moment of our lives and the situations of day to day manifests in us and through us. It is through our perspective that we create our reality-our very own Heaven or Hell.. We have the choice to encounter life situations and control the way they effect us and how we allow them to influence us, or not. Something happens, and we see it as horrible and react to that perception. The ego jumps in, possibly followed by its friend anger, its cousin indignation, so on, and so forth....right down the line. "How dare they; they can't treat me like that, I'll show them,".... etc.,etc.  The adrenaline rises to the cause and before you know it ...BOOM...the explosive reaction comes on like fire and brimstone. Because of  that reaction, another action may take place. There you have it my friends-your very own Dante's Inferno, self created. How many times have you allowed yourself to go there? Or felt something to be unbearable?  We ALL have...probably way more than once! We also have the capability to step out of the fire, stepping back into the light of responding from the place of the witness and see what is really happening. We can look at a situation and approach it from the place of inner peace-the heart, and then respond instead of react. Seeing how it effects us, and can we even change it. Observe the story of  "The Warrior"....... There once was a fierce warrior chieftain. He was accustomed to everyone bowing to his iron will,  and if not, facing  his iron swords wrath. One day he approached a gentle monk and bellowed he wanted to be taught about Heaven and Hell. The monk paused, and then said-"YOU?" I cannot teach you anything! You are dirty, unkempt. You smell. Your blade is rusty; you are a disgrace to the warrior clan. Go now, away from here, I can't bear the sight of ye." With that, the warrior grew hotter, redder, and even angrier if possible and raised his blade to take off the head of the wise monk. The monk looked up at the warrior and calmly said..."that's Hell." The mighty warrior was taken aback. The peaceful monk offered his life up to teach him the concept of hell. The mighty vengeful warrior dropped his blade, and  fell to his knees at the monks feet and felt peace. "That's Heaven", the monk gently whispered. We have the power to choose, through our perceptions, whether we reside in our own Hell or create our own Heaven .