March 30th, 2017
Affirmation: I am at peace with myself (including my past and present) and with all those around me.
Word of the Day: phantasmagoria (n):
_____
Washing Dishes
There are few meaningful things in life that can be declared done once and for all. These things cannot be reduced to items on a to do list, ready to be checked off. I believe that the oft repeated adage of life being about the journey rather than the destination stems from this truth.
Whether it is involves our commitment to a relationship, our adherence to a recovery program, self-forgiveness or self-compassion, or a host of other integral pieces of our life, the bottom line remains the same:
This practice requires perpetual recommitment and dedication. It can be helpful to think of it as a lifestyle. For example, if being a vegan is important to me and one day I eat a burger, do I tell myself, "Oh, well. Since I blew it anyway, I might as well eat the rest of the cow and buy some ivory jewelry, leather, and a bearskin rug while I'm at it"? Of course not! I would likely do my best to get right back on track and figure out what might have caused my slip so that I can can take steps to effectively address it.
Put another way, the practices in our lives can be thought of as an overall attitude or even philosophy towards ourselves. To this end, I would like to share the washing dishes metaphor with you. I hate having dirty dishes stack up in the sink. I feel good with the dishes are all washed and put away. Still, I know that it is only a matter of time (which can range from minutes to hours, depending on the day) before more dishes will have to be washed.
Washing dishes, then, is an ongoing process that I would like to stay on top of, but that I sometimes fall behind on. When I allow dishes to accumulate in the sink, it simply means that I will have more work to do at one time. If I had somehow convinced myself that I had washed all the dishes that needed to be washed once and for all, I would likely feel incredibly discouraged and disappointed (as well as frustrated and angry) when I found that they had began to pile up again.
Let's take self-compassion as an example in this metaphor: living with an attitude of self-compassion is the same as washing dishes in that there will always be more to do, it feels great when everything is clean, and we fall behind from time to time. The goal of self-compassion work, then, is the establishment of a daily practice of self-compassion.
Ultimately, what I am outlining is simply the adoption of a realistic view of ourselves. In simple terms, self-compassion specifically, can be thought of as nothing more than accepting our human imperfections. All meaningful "practices" in our lives are, of course, far easier said than done, particularly if we've been saturated in negativity, conditioned fear, and trained in pessimism and self-absorption.
But never forget:
- What are some meaningful practices that are a part of your life?
- What are some practices that are not a part of your life that you would like to invite in?
- What is getting in the way of your introducing or sticking to those practices?
- Are there practices in your life that have lost their meaning or are unhelpful to you? How might you breathe new life into these practices or cease practicing them?
- What does the idea of journeying without a final destination bring up for you?
Word of the Day: phantasmagoria (n):
1. an exhibition of optical effects and illusions
2. a) a constantly
shifting complex succession of things seen or imagined
b) a scene that constantly
changes
3. a bizarre or fantastic
combination, collection, or assemblage
How We Move Inside Grace (2)
Water is the story of how
we are helped.
Hot baths prepare us to enter the fire.
Only salamanders can go directly in
without an intermediary, salamanders and Abraham.
Hot baths prepare us to enter the fire.
Only salamanders can go directly in
without an intermediary, salamanders and Abraham.
The rest of us need
guidance from water.
Satisfaction comes from God,
but to get there you need to eat bread.
Satisfaction comes from God,
but to get there you need to eat bread.
Beauty comes from the
presence,
but those of us in bodies
must walk in a garden to feel it.
but those of us in bodies
must walk in a garden to feel it.
When this body-medium
goes, we will see directly
the light that lives in the chest.
the light that lives in the chest.
The qualities of water
are showing us
how we move inside grace.
how we move inside grace.
_____
Washing Dishes
There are few meaningful things in life that can be declared done once and for all. These things cannot be reduced to items on a to do list, ready to be checked off. I believe that the oft repeated adage of life being about the journey rather than the destination stems from this truth.
Whether it is involves our commitment to a relationship, our adherence to a recovery program, self-forgiveness or self-compassion, or a host of other integral pieces of our life, the bottom line remains the same:
Much of life is not a one-time act, but a practice.
This practice requires perpetual recommitment and dedication. It can be helpful to think of it as a lifestyle. For example, if being a vegan is important to me and one day I eat a burger, do I tell myself, "Oh, well. Since I blew it anyway, I might as well eat the rest of the cow and buy some ivory jewelry, leather, and a bearskin rug while I'm at it"? Of course not! I would likely do my best to get right back on track and figure out what might have caused my slip so that I can can take steps to effectively address it.
Put another way, the practices in our lives can be thought of as an overall attitude or even philosophy towards ourselves. To this end, I would like to share the washing dishes metaphor with you. I hate having dirty dishes stack up in the sink. I feel good with the dishes are all washed and put away. Still, I know that it is only a matter of time (which can range from minutes to hours, depending on the day) before more dishes will have to be washed.
Washing dishes, then, is an ongoing process that I would like to stay on top of, but that I sometimes fall behind on. When I allow dishes to accumulate in the sink, it simply means that I will have more work to do at one time. If I had somehow convinced myself that I had washed all the dishes that needed to be washed once and for all, I would likely feel incredibly discouraged and disappointed (as well as frustrated and angry) when I found that they had began to pile up again.
Let's take self-compassion as an example in this metaphor: living with an attitude of self-compassion is the same as washing dishes in that there will always be more to do, it feels great when everything is clean, and we fall behind from time to time. The goal of self-compassion work, then, is the establishment of a daily practice of self-compassion.
Ultimately, what I am outlining is simply the adoption of a realistic view of ourselves. In simple terms, self-compassion specifically, can be thought of as nothing more than accepting our human imperfections. All meaningful "practices" in our lives are, of course, far easier said than done, particularly if we've been saturated in negativity, conditioned fear, and trained in pessimism and self-absorption.
But never forget:
Just because something is difficult does not mean that it cannot be done.
- What are some meaningful practices that are a part of your life?
- What are some practices that are not a part of your life that you would like to invite in?
- What is getting in the way of your introducing or sticking to those practices?
- Are there practices in your life that have lost their meaning or are unhelpful to you? How might you breathe new life into these practices or cease practicing them?
- What does the idea of journeying without a final destination bring up for you?
So, I asked my scientist friend ' What's up?' He responded ' I'm engaged in the aqua-thermal treatment of ceramics and steel in a controlled environment'. I was mighty impressed till I figured out that he was doing dishes under the supervision of his wife. The title of washing dishes reminded me of this.
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