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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Bellview to offer attendance incentive to parents Willow Wind seeks volunteers for 'Hour of Code' event Iconic Lithia Park landmark in need of restoration Suit seeks to overturn GMO ban Standing Stone stands up for Emergency Food Bank Education Bellview to offer attendance incentive to parents Willow Wind seeks volunteers for 'Hour of Code' event Crossing guard clowns, but takes job seriously Ashland's DECA team proves a quick study Helman hosts literacy event Environment Don't like weather where you are? Move a mile or two Salmon: A force of nature can be restored Students nurturing nature SOU eyes burning biomass instead of gas Navickas ordered to pay court filing fees Business Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Standing Stone stands up for Emergency Food Bank Find your holiday spirit in Ashland’s Season of Celebration Oregon gained 9,900 jobs in October Greg Zyla: Growing up in the fabulous ’50s Politics and elections Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Oregon voters narrowly reject GMO labeling measure Kitzhaber wins fourth term Merkley wins re-election by wide margin Elected without opposition State News Nation - World Obituaries Robert E. Johnson Death Notices In Loving Memory of John (Jack) Dillon Death Notices Sports Latest Stories NAIA playoff doubleheader set for Saturday in Ashland Students look back on filming 'Pacific Rim Bowl' No. 8 Raiders to host first-round playoff game Six Grizzlies voted MWL first-teamers Ice skating rink opens today High school Six Grizzlies voted MWL first-teamers Grizzlies roughed up at Silverton Upset-minded Grizzlies brace for undefeated Foxes Georgia Williams commits to Columbia Gabe Lehrburger, Grizzlies clean house in MWL all-star voting Southern Oregon University NAIA playoff doubleheader set for Saturday in Ashland No. 8 Raiders to host first-round playoff game Grizzlies roughed up at Silverton No. 13 SOU falls to Concordia in CCC semis No. 4 Raiders, No. 16 Mounties meet with much on the line Opinion Latest Stories Our view: Expanding the season Granlund cartoon: Adrian Peterson suspended Mark Hopkins: Is our nation in decline? Granlund cartoon: Thanksgiving and Christmas overlap Kent Bush: Reporters never get to cry Editorial Our view: Expanding the season Our View: Our view: Generating a good idea Our View: Looking beyond the snow Our View: Voters chose wisely in council elections Letters Letters to the Editor, Nov. 15 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 11 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 10 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 3 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 28 Guest opinions Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? Herb Rothschild: TPP agreement draws opposition from all sides Guest Opinion: A meaningful step toward political bipartisanship Tell Wyden not to push trade pact Guest Opinion: Local paper is a treasure Revels Latest Stories Ashland Plaza excavation archaeology findings Check it Out: Galician Harvest Festival Community blog: National Readathon Day is coming Rogue World Ensemble presents 'Gather 'Round' 'Red Noses' is a romp through slapstick and pathos Theater New design for Bricks takes shape Hard to keep a straight face with 'Red Noses' 'Red Noses' is a romp through slapstick and pathos 'The Drunken City': Bachelorettes meet bar-crawlers Music Longtime area musician Steve Read, 64, dies The Farr Side: CMA telecast was a disappointment Bass Clarinet Takeover Book review: 'The Next Elvis,' by Barbara Barnes Sims Best bets for things to do around Ashland Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Students look back on filming 'Pacific Rim Bowl' Movie review: ‘Theory of Everything’ is winsomely human Movie review: ‘Theory of Everything’: Let’s get physics-cal Tommy Lee Jones (finally) puts on a happy face 'Interstellar' is a complex journey to the stars Food and Drink Blue bows out of Granite Street site, Agave moving in Chef count up at feast for the senses Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Kitchen Call: Corn pudding is perfect for Thanksgiving Dave Says: Mother-in-law needs a push toward financial independence Lost in Suburbia: Revenge of the turkey Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict 5 Things to Do This Weekend (Nov. 21-23) Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar ... Suit seeks to overturn GMO ban ... Standing Stone stands up for Emergency Food Bank ... Ashland Calendar ... Suit seeks to overturn GMO ban ... Standing Stone stands up for Emergency Food Bank ... INNER PEACE Case dismissed: There goes the judge By Sally McKirgan DailyTidings.com By Sally McKirgan Posted Nov. 7, 2014 @ 6:32 pm By Sally McKirgan Posted Nov. 7, 2014 @ 6:32 pm » RELATED CONTENT • Community Blog: Peace at Holiday Parties • Community Blog: Being at peace with your Inner Process • The smorgasbord of inner peace • Let it go! » Social News I recently had a dream in which I was standing before a stern looking judge. He looked grim with a black robe and white frizzy hair. I was frightened. Then his gavel came down hard and loud and he shouted “case dismissed” and smiled! Wow — the relief was wonderful. Maybe it was my subconscious alerting me to the judgments I make about others. It is so easy to look at someone and put them in a box and decide who they are and what they are about. We are born sitting on the “bench” with a gavel in our chubby fist making judgments about others for the rest of our lives. We are taught by well-meaning parents to be careful of some types of people, perhaps, or a hot stove. After all, our entire world is not a safe place, it’s not Heaven. We grow up judging this one and that one. But after adulthood, why do we keep it up? The ego mind set on automatic, continues to separate, divide and fragment into social groups; religions; ethnicities; with diverse political views and on and on. We divide and separate like cells run amok until we find ourselves in tight and constrictive boxes where we can hardly breathe, experiencing no freedom and certainly no happiness. We were trained well, but we end up exclusive rather than inclusive, and in exile, afraid and lonely. We long for and are seeking something, but what? I think it is the expansiveness of a calm and free uncluttered mind.  It is possible to unclutter the mind. When we’ve finally had enough of the world’s distraction and confusion we can choose to cease being a puppet of the ego’s thoughts. We become a decision maker that can choose what and how to think about something or someone. We can choose again, meaning we can change our mind. We are no longer gullible or in lock step with the ego’s stream of endless thoughts. It is in realizing we hold the key to changing our thoughts that we step off the wheel of the monkey mind and attain inner peace. It entails vigilance and watching the ego with an eye of detached observation. When wake up more and more as we become aware of how the mind works. Stepping down from the judge’s bench, we step up to the observation deck. We become aware of how the judgmental thoughts make us feel: fearful or peaceful? Choosing peace is being good to yourself. Embracing fear is an un-kindness. We need to honestly look at our fears and see if they are based in reality. But mainly they are just automatic responses from our conditioning. Loving thoughts heal because love is the healer in our mind. We are on the road to health and liberty when we refuse to believe every judgmental thought that comes along. Observe and just let go. In letting go we are forgiving! What was the thought for? Attack is for separation. We don’t love what we attack because we have already condemned it.  When we look at our lives and the world, we can see the pain judgment causes — i.e., the division and disagreements. Watching a TV news program you can see how disconnected we are from each other. I’ve notice that many news programs now have a short “human interest” story. Why? To offset the negative separation they have been reporting. What a relief it is to give up judgment. We can live safe and healthy lives and even disagree with someone, while still holding kindness in our mind. We have just gone through an election and even if we do not agree with each other, we are still one people; community and human family. In kindness and compassion, all disagreements and judgments dissolve because we understand, underneath the ego, we are the same. Case dismissed!  Sally McKirgan facilitates the Tidings Inner Peace column and one of several A Course In Miracles study groups in Ashland. For more information, go to www.innerpeaceforyou.me   By Sally McKirgan DailyTidings.com By Sally McKirgan Posted Nov. 7, 2014 @ 6:32 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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