To be successful in our search for the Truth, we need to love the Truth above all, and to accept it unconditionally whenever we meet it. It is sad to see many people who stumble on their way to deeper understanding of God and themselves, because they find newly discovered truths to be challenging and even upsetting for them in some ways.

The fact is, we all like the feeling of emotional and intellectual security. But we are in trouble when we are not willing to sacrifice our inner comfort for the sake of greater awareness.

We all like to feel that we are right. But we are in trouble when we allow our pride to block our path to further progress.

It is good to have opinions. But if we love them and cherish them to such extent that we become deaf to opinions of others, we are in trouble.

Why do I say that "we are in trouble"? Because every attitude which restricts us from further investigations of the reality of things, will prove to be our deadly enemy.

Let us watch for our reactions when we have to deal with people we don't agree with. Do we have any feelings of resistance, resentment, or anger towards them? Do we allow ourselves to feel superior compared to them? Is there a tendency to put them down, to treat them as blind, ignorant, and deceived ones? Such mental states indicate that we are not totally open to the Truth.

Now, I do not imply that it does not matter how other people think and act. We all know that it does. I am talking about being able to observe their thinking and behavior without emotional judgment and condemnation - and even more, being able to see their logic. Until we sincerely endeavor to understand others, we won't interact with them at the spiritual level, as we are supposed to.

It is good to ask ourselves, "Why do they think the way they think? Why do they act the way they act? What is their motivation? What is a kernel of universal truth that they embody? How their understanding can enrich my understanding?"

To do that may be a scary thing. Some people strongly believe that particular groups are so "evil" or "wicked", that it is absolutely impossible to be mentally identified with them, even for a second. Being captured by their hostility, they fail to realize that we all are members of the same human family, children of the same God, possessing the same divine potential. No matter how different we could be at times, there is always a common ground for all humanity, which is greater than apparent divisions.

"As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace" (1 Peter 4:10, RSV), encourages the Bible. It is important to note that among other gifts, each person possesses a gift of understanding. This gift is not to be taken lightly. Everyone has an ability to see and to interpret the world in a very special way. As people interact with each other, they enrich each other - even if, at first, their communication brings challenges.

Treat every person that comes into your life as a messenger from God with a special gift, and you will not be mistaken.

The world where we live is not flat, it is multi-dimensional. Other people's opinions help us to see its other dimensions.

The world where we live is not painted in black and white, it has millions of colors. When we look at people, being opened to gifts of understanding they're bringing, our world becomes shining and bright as never before.

Openness and acceptance are essential attitudes of every growing and developing soul.