Posts by Pat:
The Upside of Irritation
Admit it! At times, we all can be a bit like The Princess and the Pea. Life can offer us so much goodness, but all we sometimes do is get irritated by the few small things that don’t go smoothly.
We’ve all been there. We find ourselves so bothered by some experience in our day: like when we get stuck in traffic or deal with an irritating coworker (again). Argh! If this rings true for you too, you are definitely not alone.
No matter how good we are at controlling our circumstances, there will always be factors and people that we cannot control. How we respond to these experiences to a great degree determines the quality of our lives.
There are many stories of spiritual masters embracing the presence of an annoying student in their community. There’s even one story that documents a teacher paying an irritating person to live among his students!
From our everyday perspective, this may be difficult to comprehend. We generally work hard to avoid people and things that we find annoying so that they don’t bother us.
From a deeper spiritual perspective, however, irritation can be an important teacher and an indicator that we are making progress on our path.
Think of the pearl.
A mollusk gets this annoying little piece of sand in its soft and tender flesh. That speck of sand grates the interior lining of the mollusk and then a coating is produced to cover the irritating intrusion.
The mollusk adapts to this new irritation instead of trying to get rid of it or expel it.
In time, exquisitely beautiful, 
iridescent pearls are formed.
We have the opportunity to cultivate beauty from irritation as well.
We can become aware of irritating situations as they come up and notice how we react to these situations. Then like the mollusk, we can use that irritation as an opportunity for something worthwhile to grow.
- When we take the time to stop and listen to what is causing us to feel ill at ease;
- when we allow for that irritation to speak to us and teach us;
- when we decide to stop running from it or trying to hide it or disguise it;
then we have a chance at turning a simple irritation into something quite rewarding.
Remember the mantra,
The only way out is through!
For most of us, our lives offer us an abundance of opportunities, of grains of sand!
Which ones have you turned into pearls?
Ants and Bees, a Metaphor
Life lessons are everywhere! Let’s look at Ants and Bees as metaphors for our lives. We can learn a lot from watching ants and bees living in community and working for the greater good. More than any other species, ants and bees function as parts of a whole. They cannot and do not survive as individuals; […]
Persistent Starting
Have you ever felt overwhelmed while trying to achieve a goal? I have, and I would guess you have too. That’s why it’s important that you have a good strategy! And one good strategy I have found is “persistent starting.” As Neil Fiore in his book The Now Habit states: “…essentially, all large tasks are […]
Wrapping it up?
What a year it has been! One full of change as well as full of opportunities! Here’s some samples of what I’ve experienced and I’d love to hear what it’s been like for you! For example: We moved from our 3 bedroom home on 1/3 acre into an attractive but small 2 bedroom apartment. That was quite […]
the longest night of the year
Today’s the winter solstice for our northern hemisphere: the shortest day of the year and longest night of the year! The darkness of the winter solstice is a great time to go within and reflect on who we are becoming, our essence, and our trajectory. We are reminded to let go of beliefs, images, expectations, and assumptions so that we […]
Are you focused on G.I.F.T.S ?
The holiday season provides us with the all important reminder to reflect on all that is truly important in our lives. To get the most out of this holiday season, we can turn our attention towards G.I.F.T.S. G for Giving: We may all have hit the shopping sales to purchase gifts. However, the “gift” […]
What do YOU want for Christmas?
You can take a deep breath, lower your shoulders away from your ears, and relax for a few minutes!
The brief quiz I found online is below and can help you decide what you really want-it helped me!
So take a few minutes to:
- read the following ten statements,
- cross off those unimportance to you,
- and add any important ones not included.*
*See P.S. for what I added and subtracted!
Decide which of these values is most important to you with a “1” beside that sentence. Then assign each of the other statements a different number in your personal order of priority.
Once you have identified which values are most important to you, it will be easier to choose activities that allow you to celebrate the rest of the holidays in a more joyful, loving, and meaningful way.
QUIZ SENTENCES
Christmas is a time to:
- ____Be a peacemaker.
- ____Enjoy being with my immediate family.
- ____Create a beautiful home environment.
- ____Celebrate the birth of Christ.
- ____Exchange gifts with my family and friends.
- ____Attend parties, entertain, and visit friends.
- ____Help those who are less fortunate.
- ____Strengthen bonds with my relatives.
- ____Strengthen my spiritual community.
- ____Have a good time.
Most of us know that the values we hold dear are sometimes lost in the confusion and busyness of the season.
And we regret it once we realize it. But sometimes it’s difficult to become aware!
So do you have any “triggers” that will aid you in remembering?
(such as just before eating, getting into the car, washing your hands, etc.)
How many times a day do you think you might want to remind yourself?
Is there value for you in unplugging your Christmas machine?
Have you identified which values resonate the most strongly with you?
By reminding ourselves of what matters most to us, we will find it easier to put our thoughts, feelings, and actions into alignment with those values.
And I believe that is what we really want-thoughts, feelings, and actions that mirror the best of us.
What value resonated the most with you for this season?
P.S. I added “experiencing gratitude for all that I have and am.” And I subtracted “attend parties, entertain, and visit friends.”
P.P.S. Last week I said I’d post each week in December, my success(+/-) at keeping my 5 daily 20-minute-timeout sessions to slow down and let go of “doing” for the week. See www.WisdomEnough.com/can-we-use-these-next-4-weeks/
Starting on this last Sunday, I did 6 sessions! (So glad I didn’t say every day!)
Can we use these next 4 weeks?
December is a somewhat crazy month! A month of highs and lows, stress and relaxation, endings and beginnings. And, we can make it even crazier and do something life-changing. So here’s an idea that we can wrap up as a gift certificate to give ourselves an early Christmas present! “You have hereby received, from […]
Are you grateful?
It’s always fun to choose new quotes to share each month. And I always enjoy the ones you share with me! Here are my November choices, with a focus on gratitude and thankfulness! Maybe one of them would be good for your screensaver? And, it can be both the big and the small things that matter! […]
Are You a 200-watt Bulb or a Nightlight?
Whatever your reasons for being a bright or dim light, it is still a choice you make. (As I do as well!) Each of us can be “the light of the world.” We are enlightened beings; we have much wisdom, insight, joy, compassion and love that we can shower on others, blessing them. I believe […]