Mother Teresa says, " Let no one glory in their success but refer all to God in deepest thankfulness; on the other hand, no failure should dishearten them as long as they have done their best. God sees only our love. God will not ask how many books we have read, how many miracles we have worked, but whether we have done our best for the love of him. Have we played well? Slept well? Eaten well? Nothing is small for God."
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Today, know that you are adored. Love adores you. Love rejoices in all that you are. Love thinks you are charming and gifted and worthy. Love sees radiant light shining through you. Love is not impressed with your arguments of all your many flaws. Love just gives you a hug and tells you to hush.
Today, let go of your busy striving after solving problems. Accept how much you don't know. Be willing to let go of assumptions about what you think you do know. In that space of unknowing, feel Love holding you. Begin there.
The book of James says, "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."
Today, know that Wisdom speaks to you in ways that are gentle and kind - that do not shame you or ask of you anything impossible or beyond your capacity. Listen for Wisdom's assurances and practical guidance. Reflect that gentleness with others. Today, I realized that one of the reasons I fear slowing down is that depression runs in my family, and I equate slowing down with lethargy and danger. If I move quickly, I can stay productive and keep myself and others safe.
As I have been practicing with some slowing-down activities, such a going for very slow, mindful walks where I relax my muscles and notice, using all my senses, I am starting to experience what I knew intellectually, but had a hard time accepting, that there is another kind of slowness in which we can see more clearly, be more present in the moment, find more wisdom, a slowness which restores our energy rather than draining it. Take moments today to breathe in compassion for yourself. Know that compassion is Love's atmosphere, filling the space around you. Take it in, like drinking something deeply nourishing.
This morning, I was reading a handout on "cognitive distortions," or inaccurate thinking patterns that contribute to anxiety and low self-esteem.
One of them is "shoulds." We have a list of unwritten rules we apply to ourselves (or others) which creates unnecessary stress and judgments. The handout suggests, Instead of saying "should," say "Would't it be nice if . . . " I have trouble catching my "shoulds" because they don't presents themselves in words, but in a feeling of falling short, being behind, not meeting a standard, or just feeling agitated. The phrase "Wouldn't it be nice if . . . " helped me catch some of the many wordless shoulds and frame them in a gentler way. Wouldn't it be nice if I could keep up with my emails? Wouldn't it be nice if I washed my car more regularly, had more fashionable clothes, made healthier eating choices? Wouldn't it be nice if I had more balance in my life? Wouldn't it be nice if I could take away that person's suffering? Wouldn't it be nice if I always knew the right thing to say to a struggling student? Wouldn't it be nice if I were an expert in my field? Today, catch some of your "shoulds" and replace with "Wouldn't it be nice . . . " Know that Love helps you to do this. Know that your "shoulds" are not actually helping you achieve your goals, but creating tightness and sucking your energy. More lightness will actually give you more freedom to make adjustments, without the weight of unnecessary shame. |
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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