On Self-Knowledge

Say not "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth."
Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."
For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.

~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

NOW

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?” Rabbi Hillel

Circle the Wagons

I am not so much one for being politic, but I have tremendous difficulty adapting when a colleague (purporting to have the same goal) continuously acts in opposition to our organizational goals; when that colleague undermines not only our actions, but the people with whom he works -- superiors and underlings alike.

But when that colleague is the second in the pair of us who are the "experts" in our combined work, it makes it even more difficult for me. It causes me to focus efforts on damage control and takes time away getting work accomplished...it has the potential to stand in the way of my ability to effectively support our team.

It undermines our agency's reputation in the field, with our colleagues, with our clients.

Sometimes it is important to stand up for the greater good at every expense. Sometimes this independence is in dissonance with what is truly in the highest good. Sometimes it is good to develop consensus and circle the wagons.

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"He only has power if the entire group is fragmented or divided by him."~J/Z

Carnal Cannibals

Wow. (photo taken around 8:00 this a.m. in my garden)

Reminder: Stillness Needed

Voices from the garden say: Be still. Observe with intensity. Wait with patience. Decide with discernment. Move with swiftness.

In work.
In play.
In rest.

I am reminded to be with my own power, recognizing life...as it is.

Healing Paradox

Now, a budding Reiki adept, I set my focus on healing.

I find that for me as the healing energy moves along the hara line, each chakra is agitated by the healing energy, producing (perhaps releasing) what probably is my worst possible behaviour for that place.
...
February 2007

2nd chakra, splenic (sacral) chakra: governs instinct and gut feelings. Seat of vitality and many emotions.

2nd attunement, emotional body: stress, hysteria, frustration, anxiety, depression, confusion, frees emotional responses for sexual health, opens channels for greater creativity.

At that time, I put a chair through my office wall. It was for no reason, it was spontaneous and fortunately, it was just a leg through the drywall and the hole was no bigger than 3" in diameter, but I was emotional. I was angry. I was ashamed.
...
Yesterday, I had a moment...a couple of hours...that seemed to be releasing through my Reiki master attunement.

Spiritual body: 3rd chakra, solar plexus: Promotes the ability to accept without the need for control. Personal power and ego issues. Connection to akashic records.

Relaxation, stress, clarity, centering, freedon of choice, release of frustration, release fears, release need to control or manipulate, promote self-confidence, stepping into your own power.

I behaved badly. I exercised my power to, potentially, the detriment of the beauty in my life. Fortunately, my love was so kind, warm, welcoming..."I don't want you to be alone in this," he said, regarding the most painful experience of my life (and honestly, a moment of skidding on emotional black ice).
...
But, now I feel more like myself. More free, more honest, more grounded.

Perhaps that is all that it is: My power is in I AM. Healing allows the connections in my life to resonate with I AM. It allows me to humbly resonate with I AM.

I think I am becoming. I believe I am healing.

I don't know what's next...that IS okay.

Short Happy Life...

Something about the Republican Presidential Ticket got me thinking of the Hemingway short story "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." Acclaimed for its ambiguous brutality, this story of innate violence affected me so strongly that I could no longer read Hemingway.

It simply captured the ugliest tendencies in human nature; it was beautifully written and affirmed to me that WE as a species may not be fit to survive here; it made me question modern life and all of its extravagant outrages. This story captured our tendency toward appropriating everything in our sites as though it was ours to own.

It captured the sense of entitlement that we often display that may, in the end, be our very demise.

Mrs. Palin, I implore you: Put down your gun.