Today, remember that every person is far more - both humanly and spiritually - than the story you have told yourself about them. Usually, they are deeper and more complex and more vulnerable and more contradictory and more sincere--and often better than our perceptions.
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Today, know that you don't have to do this alone. Rest in Love's arms. Recognize and accept support and love from the trustworthy people in your lives. Ask for it. Your worth is not defined by your self-sufficiency. Love, your maker, gives you the ability to do this.
Today, your primary responsibility it to feel yourself hugged by Love. Rest in that embrace. Lean into it. You don't need to earn it, or change to get it, or finish anything before you can have it. Whenever you feel worried or sad or burdened, whenever you pause for a moment., just feel that embrace. You know that person who hugs you a little longer than is socially acceptable? Let Love do that for you - hold you longer than you think you have time for - until you rest into it.
Children, in their limited understanding, tend to blame themselves for suffering. If their parents aren't skillful, if they are bullied, if some trauma or loss befalls them, they believe it is due to some fundamental flaw in their character or behavior.
Then we often grow into adults, without examining or replacing those assumptions. Today, know that your childhood suffering was impersonal. It wasn't your fault. Let go of the sense of guilt and shame that has trailed you. Feel your purity, freedom, and lovability that has always been your nature. Today, know that you are not defined by your past - by thought patterns or relationship dynamics. You are not doomed by childhood lessons, experiences, or habits. There is a divine force that "makes all things new," that reveals to you your free, wise, mature nature.
Some spiritual traditions measure the worth of an activity by how uncomfortable you feel: constant toil and self-sacrifice is the measure of spiritual value.
Some spiritual traditions suggested that if you are spiritually evolved, you will always have a sense of calm, joy, and ease. Today do not measure the spiritual worth of an activity either by how comfortable or uncomfortable it makes you. Sometimes Love asks us to do things that feel far too difficult: face a challenging memory, restore a painful relationship, apologize, sacrifice comfort and fun for a larger spiritual purpose, keep going when obstacles seem insurmountable, make a big change, endure loss, develop skills and qualities that feel far beyond our capacity. Sometimes Love asks us to embrace joy; to ask for help from others; to rest; to appreciate the beauty in the ordinary; to stop trying so hard; to stop trying to control others; to trust more; to accept love, affection and support; and to let Love hold us and those we love. So today, feel Love, Spirit, moving through you and your activities - and let go of judging the spiritual worth of an activity by how difficult it feels. Most of us spend a lot of mental and physical energy trying to maintain a sense of identity we can admire: maybe we want to be reliable, creative, spontaneous, fun, organized, energetic, positive, intelligent, original, loving. This effort to always be the person we think we should be can be exhausting.
Today, know that all your good qualities come from Love herself - She is the source and she maintains them in you. Rest in the knowledge that you are already are what you most want to be - and more. Caring for ourself is not selfishness and does not need to come at the cost of caring for others. Your relationship with yourself is the most intimate you have, so the perfect place to learn and practice how to offer real, healthy, sustaining care. Practicing care for yourself, and discovering what you can learn from it, gives you skill and wisdom in caring for others. You must treat yourself as if you are as holy and worthy as any other creature on earth.
Today, know that Time is Love moving. As Love's creation, you move as Love moves. Therefore, you can't move too fast or too slow. You can't have too much or too little time. You can't waste time or make time. Today, let Love re-form your concept of time. Today, instead of imagining you are living in relation to a clock, pause and feel yourself as Love's activity.
Today, don't take yourself, your questions, your efforts, your life so seriously. Today, ease up a little on your expectations of yourself and others. Leave room for lightness, silliness, joy. Trust more that Love is doing it's work.
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AuthorTarn Wilson is the author of the memoir The Slow Farm and numerous essays. You may read more of her work at tarnwilson.com. Archives
September 2020
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