Emotional—Spiritual Tune-up


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Emotional—Spiritual Tune-up

Be the change in yourself that you want to see in the world! Gandhi

Be a lamp unto yourself!

Here are my thoughts that I wrote in my journal last summer when I noticed that I was very cranky, reactive, and fairly miserable. I wondered what choices that I had recently made that led me to feel that way. I contemplated how I could change my perspectives and choices so I could feel happier and restore balance to my life. How about for you. Could you use a tune up?

UPDATE: This last season of 2013 and 2016 has seen many opportunities and challenges: increased work demands, family in-law illnesses and supporting them, lots of housework and gardening, shopping & cooking, and other healthy-lifestyle practices, trying to promote my playbook, friend requests and having a variety of guests over (all fun...and it takes time and effort to plan and implement)...and I arrived at a place of feeling extremely tired and stressed. I realized I was at a place of burnout.

I wanted to be compassionate for everyone in the world....and I realized that I was depleted. I took time to remember that the cycle of compassion is not complete without myself. I can't drown...I need to keep myself afloat too. It's essential that I heal my own traumas.

ASK myself: "Is this compassion for me? Can I take on this commitment and not overwhelm or harm myself?" I can remember that its not my job to save the world single handedly. Plant the seeds that I can--do what I can. That is enough. It's essential that I take care of my instrument (my body, mind, and spirit) too so that I can make beautiful music!

No one can take care of me--I have to do it. I realized that no one can balance my life for me--I have to do it. So I asked a friend if we could stay home today (and not take a whole-day trip to Eugene from Portland OR). I slowed down and actually went to the gym for a short while, visited my spiritual group and meditated 2 hours, and then went home and took a nap! Ah...now that felt better.

I asked myself, how can I create my life more skillfully?

I want to become a doctor to my own mind, emotions, and life.

ü Notice--be aware of--that my present emotional/mental/physical state is the result of the recent choices in my life. Perhaps review: Four Foundations of Mindfulness: body, feelings, mind, and all phenomena and Zen Habits-Live Simply.

ü When life gets challenging (with lots of busyness, suffering, difficult experiences) then I really need extra meditation, contemplation, and time spent on managing my stress (not less!).

ü Set my daily intention: this is the way I’m going to do it. I’m not creating more separation from myself and others by my choices. ASK: Does this act of body, speech, and mind serve my highest aspirations for my heart and life? It is my intention that you are not going to be harmed by me in any way. It is safe to be with me.

ü Practice stress management techniques. Slow down. Release speed. Allow extra time. Release the need to rush to the next thing. Own my place on the earth. Move slowly throughout the day. Contemplate and celebrate my journey of life!

ü Relax. Observe and allow. Be aware of and stay connected with each of the experiences that I encounter. Pay attention to my reactions to life’s events.

ü Know what enough is. Watch greed (and compulsion) for accomplishment (e-mails, computers, house chores, social activities, etc.). Notice the heaviness of obligation.

ü Ask where’s my heart? I shut off my heart when I live in my head (constant thinking—remembering, planning, and judging).

ü Remember all of stories and identities I have about me and others are not true! Everyone, everything, and myself are in a constant state of change all of the time. There is no solid and unchangeable core in anything. Everything is in flux.

ü Don’t buy into the idea that I need a long retreat or a special environment to get happy (have emotional and mental balance and peace). It can happen in my daily life—IF—I set up the daily patterns and choices for it to manifest!

ü Out of stillness can come awareness, and out of awareness can come right planning that leads to a life that is well lived.

ü Stand up to all circumstances: Retrain the perspective from which anger, despair, frustration, and self-hatred speaks. Change my mind!

ü Let go of the insistence of being “in control.” Allow timing of enfoldment of life’s events.

ü Practice feeling completely contented and peaceful. Ah... ☺

ü ASK: Would I rather be right or happy? Remember, my serenity is inversely proportional to my expectations!

o ASK: Am I happy, peaceful, and contented? Yes/No? If not, what habits or patterns or mind am I cultivating? Notice that attachment to what I want à anger and unhappiness are the result.

o High and unmet expectations lead to impatience and frustrations. When I have lots of desires, wanting to be right or acknowledged, and have attachment to my views and my desired outcomes (“I want or must have…”) I notice that I’m miserable!

o Do I have strong attachment to my projects, views, and perspectives? If I do, what happens to my peace of mind?

ü I’m in charge of making my choices, trying things out—making the effort. I’m not in charge of the results or outcomes. When I’m attached to the results, I suffer and am unhappy.

ü Watch caring more for people’s health and well-being than they do! Who is doing the work of making changes? Me or them?

o For perspective, consider the metaphor of looking at a forest floor. You will see trees fallen everywhere, branches, old flowers, shrubs, and leaves all over. They are all in various forms of decay and regeneration to new life forms. So like all of life (humans too) on earth—some falling down, crashing and burning (falling into relapse around harmful behaviors)—going through apparently difficult and chaotic circumstances, there is dying of old ways and regeneration of new forms of life. They are evolving in ways that are right for them!

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