Reflections

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  1. J
    Jillkae24

    Selfishness…becoming more aware of how to help others.

    10 months ago
  2. c
    carol

    The influence of past experiences that limit my present.

    10 months ago
  3. Robin Ann

    I am willing and trying to let go of trying to control my daughter’s addiction. In the past I have tried everything possible including being reactive and getting upset. Now I practice pauses and patience more then I have done in the past. I am happy to say that instead of saying “you should” I just listen more and suggest. This time around she took control and my advise and started a new Healing program that includes a holistic approach with medication, yoga and teaching nutrition as their core practice.

    10 months ago
  4. pkr

    I am willing to let go of the stress & anxious feelings I have around certain situations. I am working hard, diligently on not allowing the physical manifestations of stress get ahold of me. I meditate, breathe deep, do affirmations, pause, walk, practice yoga for obvious reasons but also to keep me centered, grounded so I don’t become a “nervous” mess. Some days I am successful, others not so much.
    It is a constant practice & discipline for me. I want to be calm, peaceful & serene in all situations; especially these days as the uncertainty of the times has “unglued” so many.
    Peace & Love to All.🕊🙏🏻❤️

    10 months ago
  5. Don Jones

    He is subtle and lingers at the edges where it is hard to see. But when I see him as he really is, it is clear he doesn’t have any value to add to the person I aspire to be. He is always quick to judge and be critical, has a high opinion of his own place, and feels most comfortable in a home that is decorated with anxiety and depression. He has become all too familiar in my company, to the extent that it is easy to forget that he is there. He is there under false pretenses though and as I shine a light of awareness upon him, the lie becomes plain to see.

    10 months ago
  6. Linda

    I have had a longtime resentment of my husband’s daughter. She has been a mess for much of her life, with no apologies to us or her son, who suffered much of the brunt of her way of life. We took care of him and nurtured him and supported him financially and otherwise, and he has grown into an incredible young man of 25.
    She is trying to get back into her son’s and our lives after yet another disastrous relationship and poor life choices. I cannot forgive her for all the trauma she has caused.
    But, my thinking and feeling this way certainly hasn’t changed her behavior, and won’t. Perhaps it is time to let go of my resentment, but without re-entering her life.

    10 months ago
    1. Robin Ann

      Linda,
      My daughter also has a son (age 12) that does not live with her because of her mental health and addiction issues. I do hope and pray that some day she will have a wonderful mutual loving relationship with her son after much needed healing and recovery at his time. I wish your family much peace getting thru this difficult situation.

      10 months ago
    2. Joseph McCann

      I once read that resentment is taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

      10 months ago
      1. Robin Ann

        Ouch, I do agree resentment is not good at all.

        10 months ago
  7. Charlie T

    I like this question. I am forced to
    ponder what’s holding me or keeping
    me from my goal of contentment.
    My egotistic identity and habit of
    comparison, comes to mind.
    I will gladly sacrifice these attachments.
    After a pessimistic start yesterday
    (thank you for the kind words, Joseph),
    my work day was full of beauty and
    connection. It had everything to do
    with this gratitude practice and the
    lovely place I get to live and work, and
    the kind and interesting people that
    I work with. The wealthy people that
    I serve, mostly don’t see me and look
    right through me. Reminds me of this
    Bruce Lee Quote:
    “Don’t think, feel! It’s like a finger pointing
    away to the moon. Do not concentrate on
    the finger or you will miss all of the heavenly glory.”
    I hope you all have a good Sunday.

    10 months ago
    1. pkr

      Charlie, I “see” You. Your posts are always so genuine & authentic. Thank you for sharing. Bless You…🙏🏻

      10 months ago
  8. Barb C

    Striving for perfection in any aspect of life.
    Stuff I don’t need.
    The desire to fix things for others. (Not sure I’m totally willing to let go of this one in the sense of going along with the idea of doing so. It’s more like I have to will myself to let go of this long-time reflex. I’m working on it.)
    Giving mental energy to what other people think about my choices or actions.
    The desire to be center stage.

    10 months ago
    1. c
      carol

      I too am working on it– 🙂 – with loving kindness and compassion for ourselves and our intentions and attention-success will surely come

      10 months ago
  9. W
    WLS

    I am learning to let go of making sure my house is spotless. No one just “drops in” for a visit. There can be items out of place.

    10 months ago
  10. luv-1-nutter

    The thought of the day makes me think of my willingness to give up everything in order to get everything. no hankering for anything nor lamenting when I lose something.. I intend to serve god ..well, God is everywhere so why is He isn’t here in the temple? they don’t mention that by serving God you are serving everyone! God bless!!

    10 months ago
  11. Laura

    Imagined future situations that cause unnecessary worry and anxiety.

    10 months ago
    1. pkr

      Yes Laura, I know this too well. I strive to stay in the present moment, some days easier than others. All the Best to You.🙏🏻✨❤️

      10 months ago
  12. Carol

    What am I willing to let go of in order to be a little more free and/or happy?
    My reaction to this question is also a question: Do you want to be free or happy? I want to be free. I have a wish for all of us and that is to remember (to quote Br. David) that our motivator is either “fear or trust.” That identifying the difference between hopes and hope is very necessary. To paraphrase Br. David: Hopes are something we can imagine with our finite minds but hope is about the unknown. It requires trust. We constantly engage in self talk—feverishly seeking and trying to find happiness through someone or something. Might we be putting LIFE on hold?

    Br. David speaks of “BEing Joyful” instead of seeking happiness. Try “doing” joy. It doesn’t work. Life is for living not taking. It is for letting not getting. I think of the song, “Me and Bobby McGee.” It goes: “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose. Nothing ain’t worth nothing but it’s free.”

    I remind myself often that LIFE is FREE. It is a mysterious gift. When I allow my self-talk to shackle my mind with shoulds and woulds and coulds, it’s hard to let life BE. I know today that life is not about performance. It’s an evolutionary process and it is trustworthy. In my experience, the willingness to let go is about the willingness to trust–to “lose control to the Spirit that dwells deeply in us all.” This is very different from being in control or out of control. It requires moment to moment mindfulness and monitoring of my self-talk.

    “Every time we catch ourselves getting reactive, every time we catch ourselves acting as if the outcome of the situation has the authority to name who we are, we are to take a deep breath and remind ourselves that it’s not true.” Meister Eckhart

    10 months ago
    1. c
      carol

      yes– thank you — very helpful

      10 months ago
    2. Joseph McCann

      Thank you Carol.

      10 months ago
    3. Laura

      Thank you for your insightful post this morning, Carol. I will be “chewing” on it today.
      If you listen to podcasts, “Turning to the Mystics” is looking at Meister Eckhart this season.

      10 months ago
  13. Yram

    The optimal word here is willing. I can think of plenty of “whats” but am I willing? There were 2 incidents that rattled me. I had to really focus on letting them go in order to be free to claim the serenity I have gained.

    10 months ago
    1. Carol

      Yram, I realized many years ago that willingness is my job. I’ve shared this poem before but just in case you didn’t see it, I share it again.

      Wings of Willingness by Carol Ann Conner (1995)
      “You too can fly. But that cocoon must go!” Anonymous

      The Butterfly awakens inside the cocoon – TRAPPED.
      Her wings imbedded in her sides – CHAINED.
      Her mind is reeling – AFRAID.

      Every circumstance says she can’t move.
      She bargains; she pleads. But at last, she lets go.
      The power of surrender surges through her.

      Little by little, the darkness begins to fade into light.
      She’s learning to trust.
      At last, she’s embracing true freedom.

      Her prison begins to crumble.
      Her wings begin to spread.
      SHE FLIES!

      Some of us build cocoons from the inside out,
      And the only way to shed them is to let go.
      No amount of digging, scratching, or pushing can remove them.

      Only letting God send those who can comfort and guide,
      Only letting God peel off one layer at a time will constitute real change.
      Transformation is God’s business. Willingness is mine.

      When I can truly let God be God,
      My wings will spread and I will discover that
      I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO FLY!

      10 months ago
  14. Sheila

    There is a bottled protein/wellness shake that I love. I have been drinking at least 1 every day for quite awhile. I know that using all this plastic is not eco friendly. I have decided to stop drinking this. I read once, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”. I will be happy knowing I am being more environmentally responsible. Blessings and gratitude to everyone 🙏💜🌈

    10 months ago
  15. Nannette

    I am a constant worrier…and it does not do any good. I have been this way since I was a child. I can still remember being in school at age 6 worrying about my Mom. My father was a drinker and was very verbally abusive…later on he became physically abusive. My mother was my all….so I learned the art of serious worry….which I continue to this day, My Mom passed away when I was 14,,,but I never did learn to stop worrying. I try to stop- but at this point is is a part of my fabric. However; it is something I can work on. Wishing everyone here a wonderful Sunday. As always, I thank you for sharing your thoughts and feeling….I look forward to each of you every day.

    10 months ago
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