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Gratefulness
“Oh, where is the sea?”, the fishes cried, as they swam its crystal-clearness through.
An internal “swoosh” of air displacement, or the movement of wings, as my heart opens and expands to receive the guidance I’ve asked for.
My heart, which gives me knowledge of my other “bodies”
These days on my mountain are ones of constantly changing weather, and the appearance of the natural world. Clouds pass over, darkening the green, sometimes accompanied by a shower. Half a hour later I see brilliant sunshine and the myriad greens of new growth. My task is to pause, stop, breathe, open once again to my connection to all that exists……precious, unique moment……and then another. Bottom line…stay awake!
Both quality and quantity of gratitude increases. People are hungry for meaning, to know they are of use. Thanking people reminds them they are not alone. Expressed gratitude for the world’s beauty or God’s grace is an invitation to return–for however briefly– into the awe and wonder of childhood.
I start with reverence for making my bed…..it always brings gratitude for my night of sleep and the opportunities of a new day. From there I go into my morning prayer …..where I ask to be relieved of the bondage of self.
Last year I found myself alone on two canes and with a recently broken rib. The pain was bad….I could control it with shallow breathing while awake, but in my sleep I’d take a deep breath and wake up screaming. My friend and closest neighbor was out of the country and….. in my opinion …….not sending me any support…emailing infrequently and not voicing the proper words of sympathy and encouragement. I lashed out at her, causing her to accuse me of manipu...
Last year I found myself alone on two canes and with a recently broken rib. The pain was bad….I could control it with shallow breathing while awake, but in my sleep I’d take a deep breath and wake up screaming. My friend and closest neighbor was out of the country and….. in my opinion …….not sending me any support…emailing infrequently and not voicing the proper words of sympathy and encouragement. I lashed out at her, causing her to accuse me of manipulation and coercion. Finally, through prayer and meditation I realized it was my expectations that were getting me in trouble. I could not ask my friend to give me something she did not posses. This changed everything….the anger and resentment slipped away as my perception changed. With less stress, physical pain lessened and I very slowly healed. Now I’m still on two canes, barely able to walk, but the rib has healed and my friendship is stronger than ever….based on kindness in word and action ….not on needy demands. More generally I learned, once again, that reliance on a single person for all ones needs does not work. I am lucky to have a number of friends who each supply with their own brand of support. I am blessed.
Say yes to life always. To start my gratitude meditation with trying to label someone in my life my “enemy” is counterproductive. Are these questions passed through an editor?
I respectfully submit that this is a poorly worded question. The “new insights” gained through meditation are always changing, depending on the current crisis. My goal every day is to create space for wisdom to arise. To try to anticipate the guidance coming is to slid back into self will.
Connection to a greater wisdom
It’s impossible for me to accurately compare another person’s “outside” with my “inside”. Good or bad days are created by labeling them as such. It is our perception of the world that causes pain, not the world itself. I try to respond with kindness where I see need and to work for the reduction of suffering as directed by a greater wisdom than my own.
Hahaha! I find myself living in the moment even if I THINK I’m living by the clock. I live in a tiny community high in the Sierra Madre . mountains of Oaxaca State, Mexico. The community chooses to remain on “gods time” when the rest of Mexico changes to daylight savings time. Electricity often fails here, so I cannot count on my electric clock to be accurate. Cell phones and other electronic devices like this Kindle I write on often run out of juice from lack of chargi...
Hahaha! I find myself living in the moment even if I THINK I’m living by the clock. I live in a tiny community high in the Sierra Madre . mountains of Oaxaca State, Mexico. The community chooses to remain on “gods time” when the rest of Mexico changes to daylight savings time. Electricity often fails here, so I cannot count on my electric clock to be accurate. Cell phones and other electronic devices like this Kindle I write on often run out of juice from lack of charging. It creates an attitude of gratitude when a friend finally shows up, or arrives in the middle of my shower.. …..we are just happy to see each other, no matter what time it is . We live close to nature. Pachu Mama always knows what her time is……. and the animals and plants do their thing according to how the light and dew bless them. My internal clock is often the indicator that the electric clock has fallen behind . My body senses the additional passage of moments even when they are not recorded by a clock. It is a freedom and security that cannot be gained any other way, and allows me to feel more deeply my connection to the entire grid of life. I am blessed
I agree with those of you who said there us nothing small about beauty. When it inhabits my observation…be it of a person, a place, a smell, or a memory, the Object becomes limitless.
I think you’ve said it, Ed
Took time, immediately after reading your post, to do a similar sitting meditation myself. Thank you for describing so well how body tensions arise into consciousness one by one.
Those of us who, like you, have been given the gift of communication with animals, live in awe of the conscious connection possible. This bonding and , increasingly, silence, henhance the growth and support of three 12 step meetings per week. Thank you for this post.
An old recovery saying goes like this… “If it ain’t one thing…. it’s your Mother”
I like…”like watching a sunrise”…..made ME smile
So good to read your words of wisdom again. Thank you
I am on the same path as you today Gina, including the “fluish” part!
LOVE it! Thank you….
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