The idea that everything outside of oneself is a projection can be a complex concept to grapple with, especially when faced with the harsh realities of crime, suffering, and cruelty in the world. It’s essential to approach this perspective with nuance and recognize the interplay of various factors.

Q: Dear Todd, if everything outside of me is a projection of myself, then what does it mean when I see the crime and the suffering and the cruelty in the world? And if people are a product of their environment….am I looking at the product of an environment or am I looking at myself? I love myself, I’m confident, I love and respect nature and all life and I meet loving people and I meet hateful people. I see people who love and respect life and I see those who don’t! All of this about projecting your inner self out into the world causes people to think that something is wrong with them. Don’t you think so?

TODD ANSWERS: Two things:

1) it’s not whether you see cruelty or not, it’s whether you label it as bad and suffer because of it. We can work to change things without labeling them as bad.

2) what we choose to focus on is a reflection of our internal state. So, if we choose to always see the positive, we will always see the positive and there is a positive to everything