Today felt amazing. I surprise myself when I consider how much my life is defined by my own perspective. Reflecting on the difference between days when I feel like my life is stuck in some dark rut and when I feel on top of the world, there isn't always all that much different... except my own feelings.
I have strong, wild emotions. They at times are a remarkable strength lending me deep compassion or courage or persistence. But they can lead me down paths I don't need to travel. Fill my mind and heart with unnecessary negativity. And being the open book that I am, all the good, the bad and the ugly shows right up on my sleeve.
Because of this life, for me, is an ongoing battle of wills with my emotions. Harnessing them and channeling them in a direction to make them an asset rather than a liability. This battle is a place where I often meet God. Turning what could easily be a grave weakness into a strength a glimpse into the paradox of faith. Working through the flaws in creation reveals the heart of God.
I imagine my own children. Their incredible flaws. As a parent, I feel a responsibility to help them overcome those flaws. It is a great love that pushes to meet them dead center of those flaws and invite them to who they can be.
Love meets us in the heart of the flaws that make us who we are and invites us to who we can become.
2 comments:
Negativity is an affliction of the mind, born of the ego. It causes us to see the flaws in ourselves and other, without context. Love is the anecdote for negativity due to its main component: humility.
Whenever I find myself in conflict, I ask myself, "How might have I contributed to this situation?" If I am honest, the answer will invariably lead back to my ego. This is not always so apparent when the conflict is with myself.
There is a lot of negatively out there right now.
That shouldn't be surprising given the ways we have to feed our egos today. Selfies rule the day. Humility wanes and is seen as weakness. Yet it always takes more strength, more faith, more confidence to be humble. How can that be weak? Humility gives us back that perspective that negativity takes away, and we can see the flaws of ourselves and others in context of our innate goodness. Or, not see them at all.
Humility is the one thing we can never have enough of. The minute we look, we don't have it anymore.
(Typed on tiny keys while waiting for an oil change.)
Humility is the hard stuff... way easier to blame the world.
Also, easy to get proud about how humble we are compared to other people.. which is incredibly ironic
Post a Comment