This week: Mindful Maintenance Edited by: Sophy  
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Hi, I'm Sophy ~ your editor for this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter.
The Rev. Scotty McLennan, author of the book Finding Your Religion, compares humanity's innate need for spiritual searching to climbing a mountain. In his view, we are all endeavoring to climb the same figurative mountain in our search for the divine, we just may take different ways to get there. In other words, there is one "God," but many paths. I honor whatever path or paths you have chosen to climb that mountain in your quest for the Sacred.  |
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I can usually keep my attention on positive, constructive activities. Maybe it’s partly a personality trait, although there’s likely some luck and privilege involved too. I hope there’s skill to it as well, because if there’s an element of skill to being happy or at least content – that gives us some control.
But it’s been harder lately, taking more conscious effort. There’s so much bad news – political scandals, weather catastrophes, oppression of immigrants and refugees, mass shootings, just for starters. It’s ugly out there, and if I allow it, it can drive me crazy.
“If I allow it…” To be spiritually mature, we have to keep our balance in the midst of turbulence. We need perspective. There’s more ugliness than we can ever hope to address or confront, but becoming calloused isn’t an option. We have obligations to cooperate and help each other. We can’t just say, “It’s not my problem.” We have a responsibility to advocate, teach, heal, contribute, resist.
At the same time, there’s more suffering than any of us can hope to alleviate. We have to make choices. We need to do our part and rely on others to do theirs. We have to cultivate selective attention. There’s a skill from mindfulness meditation called “letting go.” It’s as simple it sounds. Left to their own inclinations, our minds will gravitate toward the most threatening and alluring features of our environment, stressing us out, leading us to want more of this and avoid that at all costs.
We need to be deliberate about where we put our attention, moving it away from information too rich in fear or judgment. It’s not healthy to indulge certain patterns of thought, and we can make choices about where to put our attention, and for how long.
You’re alive. It’s obvious, but profound. Consider that for a moment. Take a deep breath and feel air fill your lungs. Feel your heart beating in your chest. In this moment, you are a participant in life. You can share love and friendship, making your humble contribution to the greater good in whatever way you choose. Even with all the ugliness, the world is still a beautiful place, and part of our journey is to rejoice and be glad in it.
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Below you'll find some spiritual offerings from other WDC members. Please let the folks know if you read their piece by leaving a thoughtful comment or review. If you have something you would like me to highlight, please do share it with me, thanks!
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#2202488 by Not Available. |
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Musing over mathematics, models for reality, philosophy, etc.
#2202419 by Private  |
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Lots of response from my last newsletter "Spiritual Newsletter (September 18, 2019)" about "Building Cathedrals:"
From Quick-Quill 
I think you answered your own question. The middle section on maturity. It's so atypical that you can't get people to change even when you show them. Another NL writer I just read is experiencing the same thing. When you lose weight and your perspective about yourself changes, why didn't it change before? How can one change a belief without external motivation? Experience. I only changed my perspective of myself when I saw what others saw. I'm a good person, I love people and want to help them. What stood in my way was my fat body. Others had to work through their own issue to go beyond what they saw to the person I was. Now I don't care. I'm still FAT by the worlds standards but I love who I am. I'm a published author. Those words define ME. I (try to) help others to realize their potential. Their confidence in me builds my confidence in myself (still struggling with that picture) Change is hard. Take little steps and rejoice in the victories, learn from the mistakes, use them as STEPPING STONES to become a more confident writer. I'm dieting to get down to a ridiculous goal weight. Will I get there, maybe, will I change? No I'll just be a thinner published author!
Thanks for sharing this - perspective is definitely important!
      
From Joy 
Great NL, as usual,  Sophy.
I loved the three bricklayers story and how they each judged their own work.
Similar to it, I believe that if you keep on building wall after wall, you might end up with a Cathedral. 
From Zeke
Maybe that first laborer should have added that he was laying bricks for a new cathedral.
Keep writing, Nice work.
Zeke
Maybe he didn't have that perspective of what he was a larger part of doing ... which can be quite common if we focus only on ourselves.
From Pepper :
Your bricklayer parable really touched my heart. I long to be a full-time writer, but for now I am laboring beside my husband in his tax business. It can be a boring and stressful job, especially during peak season. However, one of the things that keeps me going is knowing that I am truly helping people through what can be an unpleasant experience. I do my best to relieve their anxieties, resolve their problems and maybe just put a smile on their face. That's job satisfaction.
That is AWESOME! What a great way to look at it, thank you for sharing this.
From the Wordy Jay 
I've never heard the "bricklayer story" before. Thanks for introducing it to me, Sophy!
You are very welcome!
From Prosperous Snow celebrating 
Sophy, Maybe the third bricklayer considered his job as a means of worshiping God. Baha'u'llah in his Tablet Glad-Tidings (The twelfth Glad-Tidings): "It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like. We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One..." The idea that work is worship of God changes a person's attitude about any job they hold.
Very well said, thank you.
From Tinker 
I've always felt I was born under a lucky star or for some unknown reason I was blessed. There is so much unhappiness and hardship in life and yet when I look back I feel I've sidestepped all of it and have lived a life of abundance and joy. The reality is, I come from an abused childhood, I have known what it is to fear for my life, to wonder where my next meal would come from, I've lived through infidelity, the loss of a child and survived cancer twice. Not the end-all of tragedy but my life was not spared a downside. However, I never thought of my experiences as tragic, well maybe momentarily. For the most part, and certainly in retrospect, I saw those moments as the heavy weight of the bricks that I had to carry in order to build the cathedral. I hadn't been able to explain that until reading your Newsletter. My lucky star or blessing was, I always believed my life had purpose. Thank you for helping me verbalize it. ~~ Tink
Thank YOU for sharing this - how beautifully and well said. Building our own cathedrals - I love it.
From Jimminycritic
I have found that when I change my perspective, people start looking at me funny. That alone is worth it! Great newsletter! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it! 
From elephantsealer
I am a human being, and thus when it comes to questions of the spirit/spiritual, my reaction is as human as I am. I would like to be spiritual, feel spiritually as possible toward my fellow human beings in terms of human pains, destructions, negativity, dishonor. However, my humanness is strong, stronger than my need to be more kind, more loving, toward my fellow humans. Many millions of times (I believe I try but as always regret); and I fail to strengthen the urge to be more spiritual, be kinder, be more understanding to the faults I see in my earthly humans; actually the same faults I see in my humanness.
The truth is, I have failed to find the spiritual strength that God did promise in the Cross at Calvary; primarily because I have become a normal human being. I have lost the strength to abide by God's teachings because I believe more in my humanness than what I should endeavor to do to become more godly, to believe in the godliness of a human.
Is there hope for a human?
elephantsealer
I believe there is always reason to hope.
Please keep your comments and suggestions coming! Until next time! Sophy |
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Spiritual: October 16, 2019 Issue [#9806]
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