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  "path": "/2026/06/14/what-are-you-looking-at",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-13T22:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://ellanew.com",
  "tags": [
    "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me",
    "David Waldy",
    "hellofrench",
    "Substack"
  ],
  "textContent": "## And why are you idolising the stuff that makes you sad?\n\n_This post represents a change in topic from the bulk of what I write. To help you distinguish the plain text productivity themes at a glance from those that are more overtly Christ-centred, look for the sparkle ✨ emoji in the title._\n\n_Images from Pexels, combined by me_\n\n* * *\n\n**TLDR : Don’t place sad, stupid, or shiny stuff on the path between you and your higher self. Belief-neutral, Desiderata-like poem by James McCrae (in English and French).**\n\n* * *\n\nThis week I saw a new perspective on one of the oldest of God’s commandments. This is a commandment so basic, so foundational, I didn’t think there was much more to learn about it. I was wrong!\n\nI’m talking about idolatry. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.\n\nIdolatry occurs when we elevate any other person or thing above God. Whatever we value as more important than God, whatever we allow to stand between us and Him, becomes an idol in our lives.\n\nWhat is your opinion of yourself? Do you understand the difference between self-_worth_ , which is intrinsic, and self-_esteem_ , which can change with your mood?\n\nDavid Waldy, the Fierce Empathy Coach, showed a way of being idolatrous I had not considered, when he said —\n\n> Stop idolising your poor opinion of yourself.\n\nHe went on to invite us to\n\n> Believe instead in your divine nature; that you are what God says you are.\n>  Stop living in shame — those lies are from the enemy.\n\nI feel the truth of those words in the core of my soul. If my poor opinion of myself has been standing between me and God, keeping me from approaching Him and from becoming my best self, then it has become an idol. A roadblock on the path to the eternity I _say_ I’m aiming for.\n\nWhat is God’s opinion of you? High enough that He sent His Son to suffer in order to save you. That He would have gone through what He did even if you were the only one who was saved.\n\nThe Good Shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep to search for the one who was lost.\n\nHe teaches us of godly sorrow, which brings repentance unto salvation, because He wants to spare us the sorrow of the world, which brings death (2 Corinthians 7:10).\n\nHe reassures us that He forgives all who repent, and that He does not remember the past sins of those who confess and forsake their sins (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42–43).\n\nAnd He invites us to come unto Him, because “his grace is sufficient for you” and for me (Moroni 10:32).\n\nShame is one of Satan’s favourite tools, and as with any tool shown to be highly effective, he uses it often. The Good Shepherd found the lost sheep, and He will find us! He invites us to leave both our sin and our shame and run into His arms.\n\n“Worthiness is not flawlessness. Worthiness is being honest and trying.” (Bradley R. Wilcox)\n\nI’ll end with a poem I discovered recently that looks at this earth life as an experience we are having, rather than all there is. It might not be doctrinally water-tight but I love the overall sentiment. It’s like the Desiderata’s little sister! Here it is in both English and French.\n\n🌏\n\nINSTRUCTIONS BEFORE VISITING EARTH\n_A poem by James McCrae_\n\nIn the event that you wake up and find your soul separated from source and manifest into material form, don’t panic.\n\nYour condition is only temporary. You have been selected for the opportunity of human incarnation.\n\nThis 3D simulation is designed to break up the monotony of eternity by giving you a fully immersive experience as a distinct ego identity.\n\nYour body will serve as your physical avatar as you navigate a dense and dramatic reality.\n\nThere will be many distractions causing you to forget your true nature and origin. You will experience a range of emotions from joy to loneliness to despair. But remember — no matter what trials and traumas you encounter, your soul remains perfectly safe.\n\nAt times you may feel lost or afraid. This is totally normal. If you ever need guidance, simply slow down your busy mind and bring awareness to the quiet place inside yourself.\n\nOn this planet, nothing is permanent. People and things will come and go. You will fall in love and form sentimental attachments only to lose everything you hold dear.\n\nSo cling to nothing too tightly, even yourself, and when it’s time to let go, let go with grace, for nothing is owned, only borrowed.\n\nAs you walk among the people on the planet, try to be a good guest. Tread lightly. Remember that you are only visiting. Don’t make a mess. Listen more than you speak. Give more than you take.\n\nDon’t keep your soft heart locked inside a glass cage, protected from wear and tear. You’ll never make it out alive and time passes quickly. So come back with some battle scars and good stories to tell.\n\n🇫🇷\n\n_French version by_ hellofrench_:_\n\nAu cas où tu te réveillerais et trouverais ton âme séparée de sa source, incarnée dans la matière, ne panique pas.\n\nTon état n’est que provisoire. Tu as été choisi pour l’expérience de l’incarnation humaine.\n\nCette simulation en trois dimensions est conçue pour briser la monotonie de l’éternité en t’offrant une immersion totale dans l’identité d’un ego distinct.\n\nTon corps sera ton avatar physique tandis que tu navigueras dans une réalité dense et dramatique.\n\nDe nombreuses distractions te feront oublier ta véritable nature et ton origine. Tu traverseras tout un éventail d’émotions, de la joie à la solitude jusqu’au désespoir. Mais souviens-toi, quels que soient les épreuves et les blessures que tu rencontreras, ton âme demeure parfaitement saine et sauve.\n\nPar moments tu te sentiras perdu·e ou effrayé·e. C’est tout à fait normal. Si jamais tu as besoin d’orientation, ralentis simplement le tumulte de ton esprit et ramène ta conscience vers ce lieu silencieux qui t’habite.\n\nSur cette planète, rien n’est permanent. Les gens et les choses vont et viennent. Tu tomberas amoureux·se, tu formeras des liens forts, pour finalement tout perdre de ce que tu chérissais.\n\nNe t’accroche donc à rien trop fort, pas même à toi-même, et quand vient l’heure, lâche prise, avec grâce, car rien n’est possédé, tout est emprunté.\n\nEn marchant parmi les gens de ce monde, efforce-toi d’être un·e bon·ne invité·e. Avance à pas légers. Rappelle-toi que tu n’es que de passage. Ne laisse pas de désordre derrière toi. Écoute plus que tu ne parles. Donne plus que tu ne prennes.\n\nNe garde pas ton coeur tendre enfermé dans une cage de verre, à l’abri de l’usure et des coups. Tu ne sortiras pas d’ici vivant et le temps passe vite. Reviens donc avec quelques cicatrices gagnées au combat et de belles histoires à raconter.\n\n* * *\n\nDiscuss this post on Substack",
  "title": "✨ What Are You Looking At?"
}