Melting Snow

Motivation Monday: The Day I need the most motivation

Monday, July 11, 2016

Monday is the day I need the most motivation
because Monday is the day the brown study of depression
is most likely to rear it demonic head.

The Motivation Monday prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" 
Author E.B. White  , who was born on this day back in 1899, once said, "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." What's your take on this? If given the choice between only being able to do one, would you rather save the world or savor it?

This morning I just want to survive the day and improve myself. At the very least I want to take hot shower. The hot water tank went out Friday evening and, of course, the maintenance technician had already went home for the weekend. We didn't have hat water all weekend which meant I either had to take a cold sponge bath or go without until the breaker is fixed which was the cause of the hot water tank going out. I suspect there is a short in that breaker and it fried the thermostat again. This is enough of my bitchin', I need to respond to the prompt.

First, while I would like to save or improve the world, I'm the only person I can improve. If I manage to improve myself then I've improved a small part of the world. The only way to improve the world is to do it one human being at a time. Each individual is responsible for improving his/herself and that duty is renewed each day the person lives.

Second, enjoying or savoring the world. I attempt to do that every day. Sometimes I manage to find a small piece of the world I can savor and some times it's a little more difficult so I look harder for something I can savor. Usually I succeed in finding something I can laugh at, especially if I log onto Facebook. People post the funniest stuff on Facebook and sometimes I suspect it's unintentional.

I think writers and artists have a better chance of finding ways to both improve and savor the world the those who don't practice an artistic talent. Most of us are depressed, so we have to look for ways to savor the world so that we don't give up and walk in front of speeding objects. Depression lets us see the dark side of life and see ways that the world can be improved. In our struggle to write or sink into the darkness we have to look for the little things that improve the world for our fellow human beings and ourselves.

The "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"  prompt for Day 855
It is said that everything outside our warm, safe circle is our blind spot. Do you sometimes think that you are blind to what’s in front of your eyes or that your subconscious has blocked something from your immediate knowledge of it?

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I attempt to look beyond the fog my subconscious blows in front of my mind's eyes as well as my soul's eyes. Sometimes I succeed in looking beyond the fog and sometimes I fail. Whether I fail or succeed in looking around or beyond my own blind spot is up to me. I have to ask questions that force my inner eyes to put on glasses that see beyond the selfish desires of ego and look into the the glorious world that lies beyond.

How do I clear the fog and look beyond my blind spots? I don't know how other people do it, but my method is prayer, meditation, and reading the scriptures. Some days I manage to do only one of these three things by saying a prayer or several prayers. I try to talk to Baha'u'llah everyday. I do it silently because I don't have to talk aloud to talk to God's Glory (Baha'u'llah). It doesn't matter if I do it silently or aloud because Baha'u'llah will hear me and take my request to God.

At other times I talk directly to God and, again, I usually do it silently. I can talk to God or Baha'u'llah any time because I don't need to be by myself or at home to do this. When I say a prayer from my prayer book I usually do it when I'm alone so that I can intone it aloud. I struggle each day to overcome my selfish fears and look beyond or outside the blind spot my own subconscious and selfish ego attempts to place in the way of my inner sight. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail, but I continue the inner struggle whether I fail or succeed.