Heaven and Hell—The Realms Inside You
I believe in heaven and hell. They are as good (heaven) and as bad (hell) as you might imagine. But to me, they are not places but part of the human condition. We create our own heaven and/or hell inside of us and in our lives. If you have a positive, meaningful life and have a good perspective on how good your life is, you reside in heaven. If you’re petty, narcissistic, and selfish, and you view your life as one of winning and losing, you are in hell. The good news is that you have a choice of where you reside. There are people who have a hard life full of tragedy and heartache that still reside in heaven because they are able to focus on the good parts of their lives and the people who love them. There are also people who have everything they could possibly want but only see the challenges in their lives. They are living in hell by choice.
Choosing heaven
Life is hard sometimes—for everyone—and for some more than others. But heaven is also right there with you—all the time. Some view heaven as a reward for a life well lived. But if you believe that heaven is something in your future or after you die, then you are missing the heaven you could be in right here and now. People get complacent. They take the wonders and love around them for granted and don’t see what’s right in front of them. Experiencing heaven means acknowledging heaven. It means seeking it out every day and with every experience. It means looking for it in every person you come across. Ultimately, you will find it more often than not.
Hell is easy
Hell can be seen as the default setting in life because it’s so easy. You’re going to work, and you’re tired. You have aches and pains, and you focus on your health issues. You’re snapping at your significant other and bemoan your rocky relationships. This is hell for many people, even though everyone has everyday headaches and hassles. The reason it’s hell is because they base their existence around these headaches and hassles; they make them the foundation for their lives. It’s easy to do. When you’re going through hard times, looking for the good and beautiful in your life is a bit harder. But they are always there, in every moment, if you take the time and energy to look for them and focus on them. You can always find heaven, even if hell is standing right in front of you.
What about tragedies and trauma?
Rough patches are part of life. Sometimes, they’re very rough, and some have to face them more often than others. It’s easy to say heaven is always with you, but it can be almost impossible to keep perspective and focus on the good things if you’re dealing with a tragedy or traumatic event. The stress and heartbreak can be overwhelming and can subsume any good feelings that come with beauty and love. But those are the times when you should really lean into the heavenly in your life, place your reliance on the people who love you, and envelope yourself in that love to help you get through the rough times. Your overriding emotions may still be negative, but part of heaven is the healing power of love that will get you through those times.
Don’t wait for judgment
You may feel a temptation to get hung up on your worthiness for heaven. Have you lived a life that warrants your existence in heaven? Do you deserve it? If you know and understand the nature of heaven and aspire to exist in heaven, then you don’t have to consider whether you deserve it or not. People who focus on shallow and meaningless aspects of life may think they exist in heaven, but to truly know and understand heaven, you have to have depth and meaning in your life. Deep connections, being a positive influence on the world, and bringing joy and love to those around you are the aspects of life that will bring you heaven, whether you feel you deserve it or not.
Heaven and hell are both available to you, which one will you choose?
