thank you Terry. What resonates with me in particular is radical gratefulness, especially in the face of things going wrong. This applies both for the outside world and inside myself.
This is what my heart tells me. I want to be grateful, it feels healthy to be grateful. This in itself is a reason to be grateful for everything and anything, good or bad 🙂
In a more reasonable way, bad things leave open the opportunity for change for the better.
In a personal way, it means there is no place for defeatism when there is gratitude.
Yay, thanks again 🙂

seriously grateful for having stumbled upon this community…

One of the things that hit home to me was the Rumi poem quote – unfortunately I can’t retrieve it now, but its essence was to be a good host to any emotions that come to visit. That was a new perspective to me. If these are difficult emotions, don’t fight them or try to keep them out. I know from experience that doesn’t work 🙁

You don’t have to be a friend to these emotions either.
If they come to visit your home, be a good host, allow them in, pour them a hot coco, know them for what they are, take care.

Just looking at it this way removes the fight mode, instead there will be consideration, time to reflect. Also the walls of self-centeredness disappear. It is not about me and my problems, it is about appreciating my fellow creatures, any and all of them.

So that would be how to embrace imperfection – Rumi teaches us 🙂

not sure if I should vent my outlook here, maybe with the caveat that that is just what it is….

have I ever?

A story about my dog Eef. She is from a dog rescue address. When I picked her up I was informed she had never been outside – she was three years old then. She adapted to her new live wonderfully. Eef is all about friendlyness and play.
This also extended to cats alas. One day she was attacked by two cats up the street. That happened when Eef joyfully dived under a bush to join them. Later I learned these were dubbed ‘terror cats’ as they used to attack dogs routinely. Eef came away with a scratch in the eye which thankfully healed with the help of our vet.
The strange thing is what happened in the year following this incident. Of course Eef has been more cautious with cats since then. But Eef and the ‘terror cats’ ended up being good friends. At some point Eef just walked up to the boss cat and sniffed its behind – cat casually looking over its shoulder, not inclined to any kind of agression. Cats owner witnessed all this, her jaw literally dropped.

Why this story? In human terms there would be ‘forgiveness’ somewhere. But it seems in Eef terms it is just about her frame of mind. She can’t help being the goodnatured soul she is.

I think there is a lesson for me. If the attitude is right, ‘forgiveness’ can’t help but occur.

hello Ursula,
that quote reminded me of the Rumi poem, The Guest House. Both speak to how to handle good or bad feelings as they enter our person. You handle it some way and by doing so you make yourself right or wrong. There is some wriggle room there I think they are saying. It is us yet we can take some distance, it is something fleeting, we as a person are warmer and older and richer than the feeling that just arrived. It is not exactly to detach from them, just to be somewhat contemplative and sympathetic about it. Something like that anyway :\
wishing you all the best with your troubled time, hope the skies will clear again soon.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.