Thanks for the good thoughts. It helps to include a wider circle - those outside our sphere who we don't necessaarily understand and our own tendencies to fall short - often we've learned habits to try and make the world safer as very young children - they have served a purpose - but to grow past them we have to stop rejecting them and understand that their intentions are basically good, even though the methods and results we need to use now may have evolved to a point where our desired actions are much different. I don't like language of killing off parts of ourselves so much as honoring them and letting their old perceptions and results give way to better actions. That's very much easier said than done as we all tend to pick up on the messages that conquest and violence are like the ultimate in power and sophistication. Often that rejection has unintended consequences for ourselves and even our loved ones, as we may become tyrannical about reform especially in the lives of others. Ideally, we can be firm but gentle and such care helps us to pick up and move forward.
Thank you so much for these wise, wise words. If you can, please change the my email to mctirabassi@gmail.com That's been the email for ten years but my very old hotmail account which has forwarded things for all these years will be stopping.
Amen and Alleluia! Thank you for this reminder--it's not a cliche that, in order to love others, we must come to understand what love means because we understand it in relation to ourselves, we, the work of God--it is not selfish or arrogant or conceit, it's love--and loving ourselves in all our imperfection is indeed the essence of real love, love without judgment, the love that knows no boundaries--and once we can experience this, that beautiful love flows out to others...thank you for this beautiful message!
What a gift this message is. Self-judging is so much a part of me, a part of our culture, a part of what's supposed to make us BETTER. Mostly, it makes me tired and unsatisfied. (By the way, you are making me a more careful writer too as I think before writing a word like unsatisfied. Is that what I really mean? Yes, for now.)
Thanks for the good thoughts. It helps to include a wider circle - those outside our sphere who we don't necessaarily understand and our own tendencies to fall short - often we've learned habits to try and make the world safer as very young children - they have served a purpose - but to grow past them we have to stop rejecting them and understand that their intentions are basically good, even though the methods and results we need to use now may have evolved to a point where our desired actions are much different. I don't like language of killing off parts of ourselves so much as honoring them and letting their old perceptions and results give way to better actions. That's very much easier said than done as we all tend to pick up on the messages that conquest and violence are like the ultimate in power and sophistication. Often that rejection has unintended consequences for ourselves and even our loved ones, as we may become tyrannical about reform especially in the lives of others. Ideally, we can be firm but gentle and such care helps us to pick up and move forward.
Thank you so much for these wise, wise words. If you can, please change the my email to mctirabassi@gmail.com That's been the email for ten years but my very old hotmail account which has forwarded things for all these years will be stopping.
Amen and Alleluia! Thank you for this reminder--it's not a cliche that, in order to love others, we must come to understand what love means because we understand it in relation to ourselves, we, the work of God--it is not selfish or arrogant or conceit, it's love--and loving ourselves in all our imperfection is indeed the essence of real love, love without judgment, the love that knows no boundaries--and once we can experience this, that beautiful love flows out to others...thank you for this beautiful message!
Great message, & timely, Molly!!
What a gift this message is. Self-judging is so much a part of me, a part of our culture, a part of what's supposed to make us BETTER. Mostly, it makes me tired and unsatisfied. (By the way, you are making me a more careful writer too as I think before writing a word like unsatisfied. Is that what I really mean? Yes, for now.)