You'll Recognize Them by Their Fruit

I'm so grateful to have finally learned that evaluating a thought or action by the fruit of its process and its outcome is a great litmus test in determining whether or not something is helpful.

What do I mean by helpful? I mean that it is in support of truth, goodness, and beauty. It is ethical. It is in support of human flourishing. It is in support of our integrated flow of the natural world, of which we are an integral part.

By the way, there's no us vs. nature—we are nature!

Watch out for pseudo-prophets. They come to you dressed up like sheep, but inside they're hungry wolves. You'll recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes and figs from thistles? It's the same with trees. Good ones have good fruit and bad ones, bad. A good tree won't grow bad fruit and a bad tree won't grow good fruit. Furthermore, any tree that doesn't grow good fruit gets cut down and goes into the fire. No doubt about it—you'll recognize them by their fruit.

MATTHEW 7:15-20 (translation by Thomas Moore)

For a long time, I didn't pay attention to the fruits manifesting in my life, and since I've started telling the truth to myself and others, I am living life in beautiful technicolor. I live with so much ease and peace that I am constantly amazed and grateful for the people and circumstances I am blessed to engage with on a daily basis.

One way to start telling the truth is to journal. Here are ways that I do it:

• Write down your dreams as soon as you wake up.
• Practice a few minutes of flow writing in the morning before you engage with any media. Start with setting a timer for five minutes.
• Write down things that come to you in the middle of the day, or anytime. These intuitive hits are important.
• Before bed, examine your day by asking the following questions: What went well? What could I have done better? What did I learn? How do I want to show up tomorrow? What am I grateful for? What problem or issue do I want to work on while I sleep?

May you live with the calm confidence that you are making life-affirming choices that will make a fruitful difference in your life and in the lives of those you touch. And may you realize that you absolutely have the agency to pivot if the fruits are not healthy and in support of a life well lived.