Instead of picking pebbles, we have to learn how to pick pearls. This is a spiritual practice in and of itself. We often fall into the bad habit of “picking pebbles” – focusing on negativity. We criticize ourselves or we get stuck on negative things that we experience or that we hear or read.
A person who is bringing spirituality in their life, who is acknowledging the divinity within them forms a habit of picking pearls. “Picking pearls” is focusing the mind towards the good things that happen during the day. When you look at it, there are countless moments in the day when good things happen: you notice a beautiful flower, somebody gives you an unconditional sweet smile, somebody brings you a glass of water, somebody is kind to you, somebody overlooks your weakness, somebody forgives you. Moments of kindness, moments of compassion, moments of forgiveness.
Picking pearls is remembering all of the good that came to me and all of the good that came through me into the world. Acknowledging these moments is acknowledging the presence of the Divine in the world.