In The Stillness
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I have no words on this newsletter day, instead there's a pleasant combination of body relaxation and mental emptiness. As a frequent thinker this quiet in my head feels wonderful. I have been practicing boredom and gratitude and being with things as they are rather than wishing they were different. When negativity arrives I get to be with it, and then when I arrive at emotional neutrality I can overcome the negativity, which feels increasingly important to me. The obstacles are the point. The goalie is there so that the point scored feels satisfying. I want to remember that there is more for me in the stillness than there is in the infinite everything scroll. The temptation to seek more wisdom rather than live it out is strong in me, but each impulse is an opportunity to grow stronger. I am listening for my inner signals and letting action emerge from reflection. Growth is a natural consequence of the right conditions. |
@strangestloop
Asking is a skill which also makes it a game. It's a cooperative game between the asker and the askee and I'm going to describe a few examples I was in close proximity to recently in order to see what this game involves: The group asked for the delicious off-menu dessert and they got it. They had an advantage in that there was only upside. Since they weren't attached to getting the dessert, their circumstances would either stay as they were or they would get better. So an acceptance of any...
As I move towards the life I want, which at different moments feels like sprinting in an open field on a cool and breezy day, or arranging books on shelves one after another after another, or sighing at the sight of a tall brick wall (which might simply topple over the moment I dare to press against it), I am fascinated by the power of directing my attention. By choosing where to focus I can put myself in a state of confidence or despair or excitement. There's that saying about how you can't...
When I find myself facing a temptation lately, remembering that the opposite is the medicine soothes me. I do the difficult task and abstain from the unhealthy food and tell myself the uncomfortable truth. These things don't feel good in the moment, but responding to life's tests by doing the opposite of what my habitual lower energy pattern would have me do is my self-loving, self-helping medicine. Knowing that makes it a bit easier to stomach. It's these small victories, these little...