Our minds are not much more than universe simulators. It is truly a remarkable feat that our minds can create such a perfect, solid internal recreation of the outer world. The fact that our minds can project all of the details of our universe, all of the intricate architecture around us, all the complicated details of a flower, in such high resolution, with such clear sound, is truly astonishing. 

But the power of our minds doesn’t stop there. How we choose to view the world not only changes our perception, but it also changes how the world responds to us. When we feel love, we project love. When we project love, others see it and project it right back at us. universe.

Oneness is really about noticing the connection and relationships of all things. You begin to realize how every little thing influences every other thing.

When we hate others, we carry hate in our own hearts, and it is torment. Even if it feels justified and righteous in the moment, it completely disturbs our inner peace. Hate has a very heavy, negative energy. The only way to be fully at peace and joy is to nurture our compassion. And the more compassion we have, the more love we feel, and the more joy and peace we experience in our lives.

Everything in this universe is perfection. The only areas where we sense something has gone wrong usually stem from the human mind. When we live out of tune with nature, our own nature, when we aren’t getting enough sunshine, time in nature, meaningful social connection, or space to meditate, think, and reflect, it creates a short-circuit in our inner wiring.

We need to reset that. And the symptoms of imbalance show up in society as cruelty, selfishness, and disconnection. When we live out of tune with our purpose and true nature, that misalignment gives rise to many of the problems we see in the world.

To return to balance, it helps to simply observe nature, its balance, its perfection, its complexity, and the effortless organization that arises from its harmony. When we remove human interference, nature reveals this perfection. But even if we live in big cities, without forests or clean rivers, there’s always the sky… or a plant… or simply the ability to close our eyes. We are life. We are nature. And we can sense that perfection inside us. We are miraculous, magical, mysterious beings. And when we eat the way we’re meant to eat, when we move the way we’re designed to move, we begin to restore balance within ourselves. 

How we feel about others is often a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. When we are confident and full of self-love, we project that love outward. And we begin to see a more loving, beautiful world. What we hold inside, we inevitably project outward. Strangers become mirrors.  And when we are kind to ourselves, we see kindness in others.

When we’re constantly stressed, worried, or fearful of people or the world, it’s not about them; it’s a reflection of the fear and stress we hold inside.

On the spiritual path, one of the most important things is to turn inward and look at our own thoughts and emotions as the object of our focus. These are the parts of ourselves we can actually work with. We can nourish the good and gently remove the harmful, like hatred or fear. And when we do this, we change the world. By becoming more loving, we project that love outward. It creates ripple effects, millions of them, in ways we may never see.

It’s essential to begin seeing others as ourselves. We all share the same life force. There’s no one with a different kind of energy inside. We are all animated by the same spark that makes us human. And the more we treat people with love or even just treat them as if they are great, they begin to rise to that greatness. They begin to see themselves through our eyes, because we are mirrors for them too. That’s how we can change both how we see the world and how the world responds to us.

Sometimes self-hate doesn’t look like hate. It shows up as extreme worry, constant frustration, dissatisfaction with life, or feeling like the world isn’t as it “should” be. But all of that is a projection of our inner experience. So yes, it all comes back to what we hold inside. We radiate it outward. We are always radiating something: peace and love, or chaos, anger, and greed.

We must expand our perspective. We need to take a step back to get a clearer picture. It helps to remember: people are a product of their environment, their upbringing, and their genetic wiring. But beneath all of that, we are the same. Everyone wants love. Everyone wants a good life. Everyone wants to be seen, supported, and successful.

Unfortunately, sometimes people’s mental “wiring” gets crossed. That’s what leads to suffering and harm. But even then, we have to remember, they’re doing their best. No one wants a hard life. Everyone is just trying to make things easier, even if they’re going about it the wrong way.

So if we can turn hatred into empathy and judgment into understanding, we begin to see people not for their worst moments, but for their potential. When we let go of expectations for others, we start to simply appreciate the beautiful diversity of human experience. The good, the bad, it’s all part of this living tapestry. And it’s beautiful.

The more disconnected we become from nature — our food, our environment, our natural rhythms — the more disconnected we become from the oneness. Oneness is not just an idea; it’s a lived experience of seeing how everything is connected. Even when we live in cities where food doesn’t even look like food anymore, we can still come back to this understanding. It might be harder, especially for those who are older and have deeply ingrained habits of thinking. But it is not impossible. It’s easier than most people believe. Like any new habit, it just takes practice and repetition.

And the more we focus on the interconnectedness of all things, the more we live with that awareness guiding us in everything. I like to occasionally say a little prayer to all the gods, all the beings, all the Buddhas, all the gurus. I don’t even know if any of them are real. But that’s not the point. It’s about expressing love and gratitude. To the universe. To everything that is and everything that might be. To me, they’re simply tools — beautiful, sacred tools — for expressing even more love and more gratitude.