January 14--Spiritual Practice

When you come right down to it, the secret of having it all is loving it all. 
--Joyce Brothers

    I believe the secret to loving it all is to have a consistent, rewarding spiritual practice, staying regularly in touch with Something Bigger Than Me that I know loves me and all of creation. The 12-Step programs base recovery on this with the oft-heard statement: "What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition." There is good reason for the word "practice" in the phrase "spiritual practice."   

    Just like all of us are unique, so are our practices. I have several "daily readers" that I use, plus I write the blog. It is a wonderful energy charge to open a new post with no idea what to write about, and yet something comes through me. I'm working on another straight-line painting, and the process of allowing that to develop is very spiritual for me. Much patience is required, not my strong suit. I review my intentions and hold loved ones in my heart, my version of prayer. I work in at least a subset of this practice even when I am traveling, because the chances of having a good day without it are slim. 

    Consistent spiritual practice is an act of self-love that enables us to bring our best selves to the world.

        Leta

Painting progress

January 13--Complication Unnecessary

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.  --Dalai Lama XIV

    As I write this, I am enjoying breakfast and coffee at MOXI Junction in Maize, Kansas, my favorite coffee shop. I am upstairs and there are two sets of fathers and daughters up here playing games together. This makes my heart sing. It reminds me of all the precious time I had riding in the lumber truck with my dad making deliveries. We didn't have GPS in those days, but somehow that truck always knew where the ice cream stand was on the way home. 

    I also learned yesterday that I am going to be a great-great-aunt again. JOY!

    Back to today's quote. I appreciate the simplicity of the Dalai Lama. I have officially (to myself anyway) become a "none." That is the term in use these days to describe folks with no religious affiliation. My spiritual practice is rich and rewarding. I don't need someone telling me what to believe or what I can or cannot do to "get into heaven." I'm fully aware that everything I believe could be complete bullshit, but that knowing keeps me humble. 

    I believe in ice cream,

        Leta

Black raspberry custard,
my favorite choice on the truck rides with Dad.

January 12--Words of Wisdom

All I'm saying is, kindness don't have no boundaries.  --Kathryn Stockett

    I have come across two additional quotes to share with my blog readers. The first is for a chuckle to brighten your day. It was expressed by Stephen Bardo announcing the Penn State v. Northwestern basketball game from Bryce Jordan Center in State College, PA: 

It is so quiet in here you can hear people change their minds.

    The second quote was the absolute bulls-eye describing the angst I have been through the last 16 months. It is an utterance of Jiddu Krishnamurti:

The primary cause of disorder in ourselves is the seeking of reality promised by another. 

    I'm going to spare myself the gory details of writing any more about my disappointment. I am making a determined effort with my 2024 intentions to pull myself out of that disorder. 

    Lesson learned, I truly do hope, 

        Leta

Not one of mine, darn it! Artist unknown.

January 11--Choose Words Mindfully

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.  --Don Miguel Ruiz

    This is one of the Four Agreements described by Mr. Ruiz in his book by that name. The actual Agreement is "Be impeccable with your word." 

    I appreciate that he specifically mentions gossip. This is one of the very common character defects of addicts (as well as everyone else, though I would claim that every single one of us is addicted to something). While it is easy to oppose the practice of gossiping, it is not necessarily easy to stop. We all love those "tidbits of information."

    I also love the admonition of not using our words against ourselves. We are much too critical of ourselves, and we take ourselves way too seriously. Our bodies, minds and spirits take in the words we use on ourselves. It really is just as easy to use kind words as it is nasty ones. 

    "Say only what you mean." OK, winter sucks. We had a lot of rain, then a couple inches of snow on top of it, and now, with our cold temperatures, there is ice everywhere. Parking lots are a mess. I've turned around and come back home twice from the YMCA because the parking lot is treacherous, both for driving and walking. I zoomed my Tuesday night MELT class from home due to the hazardous conditions. 

    Ready for spring!

        Leta

January 10--Small World

If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you. 
--Fyodor Dostoyevsky

    One thing I am noticing as I get older is that with age, one's world tends to get smaller. Friends and family pass or move away. We can't do as many things physically so we drop activities where we had been interacting with others regularly. We don't venture far from home. Simple daily activities that we used to do without thinking wipe us out for the day. Health issues can bring even further isolation. The pandemic certainly exacerbated this trend. 

    I have watched this happen to my brother, who is now in a memory care unit with multiple health problems. It is gradually happening with my in-laws, who at 94 are still living independently. 

    The idea of my personal world shrinking scares me. Fortunately at the moment, I have a choice in the matter. Having a couple sets of folks to play pickleball with is a big world-expander. Travel plans with friends are underway for 2024. I am making a conscious effort to see folks I haven't seen in a while. 

    I LOVE time by myself, but I don't want too much of it!

        Leta

January 9--Great Potential

The truth is humbling, terrifying, and often exhilarating. It blows the doors off the hinges and fills the world with fresh air.  --Augusten Burroughs

Miraculous things occur when we leave our reality and move toward our potential.  --Jeffon Seely

    "Our reality" tends to be "I can't" for a multitude of reasons. "Our potential," i.e. "the truth," is that we can express and experience whatever we set our minds to. One of my realities used to be "I can't paint." The truth is that I can paint, and I have created several paintings that I am quite fond of. (This is going to be my dangling-preposition post 😉) 

    It is an act of self-respect to learn, to go for it, to try. Every endeavor may not be a resounding success, but every move toward expressing more of our potential is a win-win for all.

        Leta

The fresh air of central PA

January 8--Turning Point

To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves--there lies the great, the singular power of self-respect.  --Joan Didion

    Self-respect is not something that you didn't have, and then suddenly you have it 100%. It is, like most everything in life, a practice. I believe encouraging and growing self-respect is one of the many rewards of working a 12-Step program. There is a valuable concept in the program known as a "turning point." This comes from the A.A. mediation book titled "Daily Reflections" (page 15): 

"Every day I stand at turning points. My thoughts and actions can propel me toward growth or turn me down the road to old habits... Sometimes turning points are beginnings, as when I decide to start praising, instead of condemning someone. Or when I begin to ask for help instead of going it alone. At other times turning points are endings, such as when I see clearly the need to stop festering resentments or crippling self-seeking. Many shortcomings tempt me daily; therefore, I also have the daily opportunities to become aware of them."

    Willingness to change is a key aspect of self-respect.

        Leta