Here are some more queries for folks to think about and write about. They are from Faith’s meditation of June 15
1) What symptoms do I notice within myself when something needs to change in my life?
2) When those symptoms emerge do I project onto others their need to change, or do I prayerfully consider what needs to change in me?
3) Do I have the power to change what I am dissatisfied with in my life?
4) If so, will making a change harm or help me? Will it harm or help others?
5) Could my restlessness be God nudging me to make a needed change?
I used to think I was going to change the world through education. This was particularly true when I discovered anthropology and women’s studies as an undergraduate. Then I did grad school and thought that maybe I’d just change the system from inside. Then I went off to do a PhD and learned that the system is incredibly broken and I could spend my entire life miserably trying to buck the system, hating myself for having to play the game even just enough so that I could be successful enough to keep playing! I left. And I have gradually come to the realization that the only thing I can change is myself. There is real wisdom in understanding what can be changed and learning to deal with what cannot be changed. And, like the serenity prayer, I am learning to tell the difference. On a related note, I heard this quote from Pema Chodron (an American Buddhist nun who lives in Nova Scotia) last night: War and peace starts in the hearts of individuals. Again, we can’t “fight” for peace if we’re not peaceful ourselves. The only way to change the world is to start right where you are with yourself. It’s more painful, perhaps, than trying to change everyone else, but it also offers the only hope of success!
By: shari burke on June 27, 2008
at 2:50 pm
1) What symptoms do I notice within myself when something needs to change in my life?
I either think a lot about the change that needs to be made or I do everything I can to avoid thinking about it. I also notice myself becoming more present in the moment or becoming very detached from the here and now.
2) When those symptoms emerge do I project onto others their need to change, or do I prayerfully consider what needs to change in me?
I usually consider what needs to be changed in me, though I don’t always do so as prayerfully as I would like.
3) Do I have the power to change what I am dissatisfied with in my life?
I do have the power to change what I am dissatisfied with. If nothing else, I have the power to change my perceptions and attitudes so that I am less dissatisfied with things I cannot change.
4) If so, will making a change harm or help me? Will it harm or help others?
I try to only make changes that will help me and will either have no impact on others or will help them, too. I don’t always calculate those correctly, though. Sometimes, the changes I make harm me or someone else. But I am much better with this than I used to be and I hope to continue improving as time goes by.
5) Could my restlessness be God nudging me to make a needed change?
I’m not sure. I think my restlessness comes from a myriad of sources. Sometimes my greatest difficulty is figuring out where it is coming from. When my restlessness is coming from God nudging me to make a needed change, I try to do that.
When it is coming from somewhere else, it is sometimes a challenge to figure out the most appropriate way to deal with it so that I can reach a place of rest again.
By: Deborah on June 28, 2008
at 10:22 pm