Preferences Versus Desire and Releasing Judgment

I am in Los Angeles for Book Expo America, and I have not been in Southern California for several years. What a unique flavor that is represented here. This is not better than where I live or where you live, for it is all God, but someone may have a preference for living here. As I talk about in my book, there is a big difference between a preference and a desire. A desire is when you are unhappy with yourself or a situation and you want to make a change. For instance, you look at your body and you don't like what you see. Or you are unhappy in your present job or relationship. When you desire something else, you automatically relegate it to a position above what you do not like. Thus you have introduced a difference, and when you see differences, you see separation. A preference is when you like a red car over a blue one, or your favorite food is pizza. We can have preferences while recognizing it is all One. When we are happy in each moment, we love who we are, where we are, and whatever we are doing. When you see everything as holy, preferences arise, not desires. You allow the River of Life to carry you, versus you trying to get away from something in the River. Because we live in a world of appearances, we get to enjoy preferences, like someone who loves to live in California, and there are plenty of those people. I can understand why. Coming out here reminds me of the immense diversity that God appears as. Every section of the country has a unique flavor. Every person living on this Earth has a unique flavor, a unique personality. Instead of judging those differences, which makes you think they are real, embrace the diversity, knowing that it is all One. It is like the bounty overflows with diversity and you walk through the world with wonder. Look at all of the different types of roses, the different number of types of ants. Appreciate and be grateful for the wonder and the beauty, both in nature and in people. Giving up judgment of others is not the easiest thing to do, but it becomes easier when you appreciate the love and diversity within them. You would never judge a certain rose variety as bad, so why would you judge another person that way.