Recently I wrote a piece for an on-line magazine for its spirituality section. Although the article was about forgiveness and love, the editor wanted to put my photo in front of the word hate to accompany the article. After much discussion and protest on my part the photo was changed, but he did so begrudgingly.

One very huge thing bothered me about this. Every photo put on the internet stays on the internet forever!  The photo of me smiling with the word hate behind me, would have gone out on the internet without the accompanying article, to stand alone without explanation.  Anyone Googling my name would pull up the photo of me, with my smiling face, with the word HATE behind me.

You may not remember, but I do, the negative impact a standalone photo had on a very young Jane Fonda when she innocently held up a rifle in Vietnam during the war. A photo was snapped of her smiling, holding the rifle, and to this day she is still thought of by some a traitor. The truth is, she was too young to know the reality of what was going to happen. This happened way before the internet.

There is a huge difference between following the guidance of our head and the justifications it makes and our heart that has wisdom to see the big picture.  To create our best life it is vital to use our heart to evaluate what our head tells us because every one of our actions results in a consequence. We take time to determine the possible consequences of our actions before we act. And, we stand up and defend ourselves against those people who do not have the heart-awareness to see what is clear to us as the higher, more loving and positive way of moving in the world.

Today, take time to evaluate what you put on the internet.  Not from fear, but simply from the perspective of knowing it will be around forever.  Make certain you are proud of what you are saying and doing. Make sure you are not allowing other people to have any control over the lasting image you are leaving out there.