Higher level

When we hear birds chirping in the morning, it sounds pleasant—almost like nature’s way of greeting the day. The melody is light, cheerful, and comforting. But if we were the birds, things might feel very different. What if those chirps weren’t songs at all, but arguments? A mother bird scolding her chicks for nearly tumbling out of the nest? Two rival birds in a heated dispute over territory? What sounds beautiful to us might actually be chaos to them.

Now, let’s flip the perspective.

Imagine someone yelling at you, throwing insults, or gossiping behind your back. From your human perspective, these words might feel heavy, sharp, or even painful. But what if, instead of absorbing them, you viewed them the way you hear those birds in the morning? Just noise. Just sounds from a different world that don’t have to affect yours.

Take Maple, for example.

He hears the toy’s voice—sharp, critical, nagging. But does he argue? Does he get up, bark, and try to prove himself? No. Because to him, the toy’s words are nothing more than squeaks from something that doesn’t truly matter. It’s amusing, even. A minor disturbance that doesn’t deserve a reaction.

By rising above, by choosing not to engage, we free ourselves. The negativity loses its weight, its meaning. It becomes background noise—sometimes even funny, like a little stuffed toy pretending it has power over a resting dog.

So next time someone throws negativity your way, ask yourself: Do I want to be trapped in their negative world, or do I want to simply hear it for what it is—just another sound, nothing more?