Almost every morning I read a page from a daily meditation book, drawn from the heritage and writings of the Cherokee Indians. Within the pages is powerful and faith-based wisdom, words and meaning that have helped guide my thinking, expand my love of nature, and also heighten my understanding of life. I've had and read this book for years. (The top corner of more pages are folded down than not, which after such a long time doesn't really prove helpful when I want to find something, so one year I started folding the bottom corner of the pages. That too is pretty useless now.)
Today's writing opened with this sentence: It is important to have a vision that is not clouded with fear. That would seem simple enough, obvious enough, wouldn't it? It hasn't been so to me lately. I do understand that we need to envision a path and follow it. And I understand that sometimes our visions change, or are changed for us, but it's still up to us to move forward. This is particularly true of my life lately. What vision am I carrying right now? Looking backwards and hurting? Looking forward and fearing? Those actions are reactions, not living freely and not on the path towards any vision. My life calls for me to bring forth a different vision, to have a steady heart and hand, and not only allow it but to follow it. Few things are spelled out for us, and we have to learn to focus on what we need, and include in that fulfillment. And visualize it completed.
A wait and see attitude is dangerous. Visualizing the life I want and staying with that focus, including discarding the fear and seeking the fulfillment, is a challenging idea to me at the moment. But it's been planted in my head. And it will grow.
4 comments:
what is this book called? author?
im glad you have this planted in your head now. it might be more work than you thought getting there, but at least theres hope. and really. thats all any of us really need. hope and faith.
My personal growth "obsession" in high school and college was Zen. There's an idea in Zen philosophy that you might find applicable to your current situation.
Do everything you can, but when you have done everything you reasonably can, then stop doing and wait. I'm sure there was a word for it, but I've lost that bit.
Also, in a more Western mode of thought, you might find this more appropriate:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
I know that's gotten me through more than one dark night of the soul.
Hang in there. Somewhere in the world, the sun is always shining. Always.
I suspect that what matters most isn't which corners you fold down, but that you're turning a page. It makes me happy to see you doing some positive things to take care of your spirit.
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