Sometimes I don’t know what to do.
Sometimes what I do instinctively does more harm than good.
What I have learned, though, is this: when in doubt, kindness is usually the best choice.
In the end, nothing else matters more.
confusion
Poser Power?
Pretending to be something I am not might give me temporary power or prestige. But, continuing to pretend will tear up my moral fiber and my digestive track. Both will effect my longevity and my quality of life. That discomfort motivates me to be real, genuine, transparent, and humble.
Being around someone who isn’t posing, but finds their significance from within rather than from without, is so refreshing! When I have the rare privilege of meeting someone like that, I am energized, the air is charged, and the whole world feels like home. That comfort motivates me to be real, genuine, transparent, and humble.
…which saves me lots of time and mental energy.
Win for me-Win for people who have to live around me-Win for people who may need me in the future
Reception Problem?
Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message. – Malcolm Muggeridge
Or, we can continue to argue with reality, curse our luck, or squawk about injustice.
The next time I am complaining about poor phone reception, I’ll let it remind me to tune up my own message receptors.
Recognizing the Ache
I didn’t know I could paint until I was forty-seven. I didn’t even know I wanted to paint before “the ache” started. One day I felt this sucking feeling in my chest, and then my fingers literally started to ache as if something wanted to come out. Instead of running to the refrigerator, I ran to the craft store and the clerk helped me purchase something on which to paint. With random, leftover house paint, I coaxed my pain out, unto my first canvas.
It’s the same with writing. I get the same sucking, restless feeling in my chest. I now know that to ease the restlessness, I must create something. Before I thought it was just loneliness or sadness and tried to feed it or ignore it.
It only wanted out.
Things We Can’t See without Assistance
- The infinite number of living creatures sharing the space with us
- The complexity of the integration of every living thing (that has lived and will live) with our own existence
- The “why” of our own specialization and specifications
- How we are perceived by others
- The difference we are making in the world
With that acknowledgement, beauty and peace are finally accessible.
courtesy of geekdad.com
Earning the Right to Be Heard
Life is much easier when I make peace with these truths:
- My opinions are “junk mail” until they are requested
- No one listens to my advice until they feel as if I really “see” them (telling them I do doesn’t count)
- I might think I understand another person’s issues, but it is much safer to listen longer (no matter how profound I think I am)
- People who know me can predict the content of my “lectures”( and translate them to “Blah blah blah”)
- Appreciating someone and showing that appreciation by stopping for them (and keeping my ego out of it) trumps everything
When Doing Something for Others Backfires
Possible reasons for the malfunction:
- I did it so I would look good
- I did it because I felt guilty
- I was arrogant or condescending
- I was feeding my ego and patting myself on the back
- I complained about it the entire time
- I did it expecting something in return
- My motive was misunderstood
Simple, no-strings attached love for the recipient of our service will correct each of these issues. Unadulterated generosity needs no defense or assistance.
Experience the joy.
Photo courtesy of kootation.com
Two-Minute Tune-Up 3.22.13 Get Out of Jail Free
For many years I thought I was in jail, feeling trapped by circumstances beyond my control. Little did I know that I had a pass in my pocket.
My soul had been seeping out in unhealthy ways…anger with my children, poor choices, blaming others, boredom in my work…but I trudged on, mistakenly thinking I was doing the “right thing” by bucking up. Everyone who knew me heard my complaints about my circumstances. I now realize I did no favors by playing the martyr.
It is always the most loving choice to do what we were born to do. If there is a pain in your chest, don’t ignore it.
“What a person can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization.” – Abraham Maslow
Two-Minute Tune-Up 2.18.13 Here’s the Other Choice
When I don’t understand or agree with God (or whatever I am blaming God for), I can be discontent, angry, irritable, tugging on the leash, uncooperative, snarling, and growling. That always makes for a fine walk.
There is a way to challenge God; to be fully alive and engaged without sacrificing peace. This isn’t it.
Two-Minute Tune-Up 2.17.13 Walks with Dog and God
As my dog sniffs the ground, I think through my numerous responsibilities on many fronts…including what to do about his food and his fleas. He is oblivious, though. In comparison, I start to speculate that the level of understanding I have in my “God walk” is probably much less than the level of understanding my dog has in our walk.
Sometimes, I think I get God. I really don’t have a clue.
So instead of trying to figure it all out, I probably should just walk happily along, trusting, enjoying, learning, and growing.
Ahhhh, isn’t loving humility adorable?
