Janese Johnson

We value intelligence as a culture. We usually refer to someone as an intelligent person if they can understand and articulate difficult concepts. Many intelligent people are experts in their own fields, but do they have the capacity to really see the bigger picture of life?

Bestselling author Eckert Tolle in his new book, “A New Earth,” says something about intelligence from an angle that I totally agree with. In a section in his book about being negative, he emphasizes, “Negativity is not intelligent. It is always of the ego. The ego may be clever, but it is not intelligent. Cleverness pursues its own little aims. Intelligence sees the larger whole in which all things are connected.”

When we look at intelligence from that angle, we can see that it takes on a whole new meaning, and seems quite accurate. Of course it takes intelligence to see the bigger picture and to act from that place. Oftentimes we get wrapped up in our day-to-day life, and when we step back and look at the bigger picture, life can reveal to us many different facets that are happening just in one situation. It is the stepping back and looking at it that takes a different mind (intelligence) than it would be just to act from our own “cleverness.”

Many of us can see the bigger picture in areas that are important to us. The sad truth is that we might see very clearly the bigger picture with the areas that are near and dear to us, but fail to see the bigger picture in areas that are near and dear to other people. If we fail to see others’ point of view, are we really seeing the big picture? After all, aren’t they part of the bigger picture too?

We might then say that their ideas and actions are destroying this planet (or something else) that we hold near and dear, and our very survival and happiness depends on them to see the bigger picture too. Maybe our angle of trying to help someone see the bigger picture is really coming the “cleverness” that Tolle talks about, and not necessarily from using “Intelligence.” If this is so, then simply by shifting our focus to the bigger picture, which includes their thoughts on it too, we can perhaps be more effective with getting more positive results. Most will agree that negativity only stirs more negativity, and to see the big picture, and really want change, it seems that we must help others see the bigger picture intelligently, and not negatively.

A perfect example of that is the speech that Barack Obama made on race on March 18. That speech laid out a lot of the bigger picture; stated many facts; while not speaking negatively about anyone else. We can also look into history and see that many of the changes that have been made in significant ways have been through helping others to see the bigger picture.

Unfortunately sometimes when people are standing up helping others to see the bigger picture, they are themselves at risk at someone else’s negativity; such as the case that is going on with the Tibetan Monks.

They have stood up peacefully in protest against the occupying Chinese, and have now been shot at, killed and imprisoned. And we are now paying attention to their life as part of the bigger picture.

I believe that if we want to see the negativity stop in the world, it is our responsibility to stop it within our own self first. This presidential primary season has been full of negativity, and it is easy to get caught up by it, but if we can use this time as a time to at least make an effort to see the bigger picture, than maybe we can see a more harmonious outcome.

I know that this sounds quite idealistic, but who would have ever thought that the teachings of many mystics in times past would become public knowledge through Eckert Tolle, who is now sharing this information to over a million people worldwide through the help of Oprah Winfrey on her website?

 Many changes have come, and will continue to come, and theyare because of the diligence of  those using their intelligence by showing the world, and those of us in it, a bigger picture.
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Janese Johnson has been doing intuitive counseling nationally for more than 20 years. She may be contacted at janesej-at-buncombe.main.nc.us.