Sunday Musings – July 23, 2017
Despite the ongoing turmoil in much of the world, my little corner of the world was very routine this week Although I was consistently busy and, at times, challenged by how to deal with house issues (there are always issues when one owns a home) and by how to be helpful to clients, there was nothing which felt particularly stressful or worrisome.
It was a good week for being reminded as Richard Carlson famously said, to not sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff. I am not sure why us humans so often need the reminder that life, at best, lasts five minutes (certainly seems that way) and we either deal with life issues as they arrive, panic about them, or try to avoid them. No matter what we do life will indeed move on without us. Very often comedians, such as one I heard on the Moth radio program this morning, will remind the audience that despite the fact that they are the center of the universe somehow the universe will, one day go on without their direction or even input. Even though we are an integral piece of the whole, the paradox is that the whole will continue to exist whether we are actively engaged or not. Obviously, the energy which was us continues to go on with or without our physical presence.
Conceptually, I get this and, yet, I still, after all these years of meeting with clients, have a moment when a person brings up an issue and I feel a need to come up with a wise or at least cogent response. Often, however, I have no cogent response. Just last night I was attempting to formulate a response to a client and my brain was devoid of any wise advice. I frantically googled the issues the client had raised hoping I could find something helpful or wise to suggest. Before I was even finished my research the client had accessed that wise part of her mind. The only role she needed me to play was to listen to her. When we are sharing with another person the answer or solution often – not always, but often – comes to us. The answer may be that there is no good answer but that is also okay.
The same thing happened with a household plumbing issue this morning. I had no idea what to do but I did find the manual and will either get the new parts myself and install them or ask for assistance from someone. If it does not get fixed today it is no big deal.
I can think of hundreds of issues which have felt like big deals when they happened. Often I would wring my hands, cry, make phone calls or take some other action only to find out that I had no choice but to accept the situation and to remind myself that I would survive. Some events drastically changed the course of my life. The plan I had so carefully crafted for the next stage of my life was filed in the “might have been” file. Life went on and eventually one event led to another which led to another which brings me to the luxurious place in my life today.
Occasionally, I feel bad that I no longer join others to march or demonstrate about issues such as health care, global warming, human trafficking, money for addiction treatment or a host of other issues. I do sometimes donate money and occasionally sign petitions. Am I abdicating my responsibility as a citizen because I am being lazy? Perhaps I have become complacent or perhaps I am waiting for a more positive way to move towards change. I tell myself that, in part, I address many issues in my writing and I donate a lot of hours to work with individuals who are attempting to claim their place in the community. Yet, when I see photos or read a news story of friends standing up for a more just community I feel slightly guilty. Another part of me feels that if we each do the spiritual work we need to do that the wave of spiritual change which is currently taking place in the larger world will grow exponentially.
Once again I am reminded that without taking myself to seriously and without attending church I need to spend the Sabbath (Friday, Saturday, Sunday or whatever day I set aside) to review the week as a whole, to remind myself of my spiritual goals, and to attempt to notice how well I walked the talk this week.
Written July 23, 2017
Despite the ongoing turmoil in much of the world, my little corner of the world was very routine this week Although I was consistently busy and, at times, challenged by how to deal with house issues (there are always issues when one owns a home) and by how to be helpful to clients, there was nothing which felt particularly stressful or worrisome.
It was a good week for being reminded as Richard Carlson famously said, to not sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff. I am not sure why us humans so often need the reminder that life, at best, lasts five minutes (certainly seems that way) and we either deal with life issues as they arrive, panic about them, or try to avoid them. No matter what we do life will indeed move on without us. Very often comedians, such as one I heard on the Moth radio program this morning, will remind the audience that despite the fact that they are the center of the universe somehow the universe will, one day go on without their direction or even input. Even though we are an integral piece of the whole, the paradox is that the whole will continue to exist whether we are actively engaged or not. Obviously, the energy which was us continues to go on with or without our physical presence.
Conceptually, I get this and, yet, I still, after all these years of meeting with clients, have a moment when a person brings up an issue and I feel a need to come up with a wise or at least cogent response. Often, however, I have no cogent response. Just last night I was attempting to formulate a response to a client and my brain was devoid of any wise advice. I frantically googled the issues the client had raised hoping I could find something helpful or wise to suggest. Before I was even finished my research the client had accessed that wise part of her mind. The only role she needed me to play was to listen to her. When we are sharing with another person the answer or solution often – not always, but often – comes to us. The answer may be that there is no good answer but that is also okay.
The same thing happened with a household plumbing issue this morning. I had no idea what to do but I did find the manual and will either get the new parts myself and install them or ask for assistance from someone. If it does not get fixed today it is no big deal.
I can think of hundreds of issues which have felt like big deals when they happened. Often I would wring my hands, cry, make phone calls or take some other action only to find out that I had no choice but to accept the situation and to remind myself that I would survive. Some events drastically changed the course of my life. The plan I had so carefully crafted for the next stage of my life was filed in the “might have been” file. Life went on and eventually one event led to another which led to another which brings me to the luxurious place in my life today.
Occasionally, I feel bad that I no longer join others to march or demonstrate about issues such as health care, global warming, human trafficking, money for addiction treatment or a host of other issues. I do sometimes donate money and occasionally sign petitions. Am I abdicating my responsibility as a citizen because I am being lazy? Perhaps I have become complacent or perhaps I am waiting for a more positive way to move towards change. I tell myself that, in part, I address many issues in my writing and I donate a lot of hours to work with individuals who are attempting to claim their place in the community. Yet, when I see photos or read a news story of friends standing up for a more just community I feel slightly guilty. Another part of me feels that if we each do the spiritual work we need to do that the wave of spiritual change which is currently taking place in the larger world will grow exponentially.
Once again I am reminded that without taking myself to seriously and without attending church I need to spend the Sabbath (Friday, Saturday, Sunday or whatever day I set aside) to review the week as a whole, to remind myself of my spiritual goals, and to attempt to notice how well I walked the talk this week.
Written July 23, 2017
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