Image by Mojca JJ from Pixabay
I believe it was venerable Kodo Sawaki, the late, renowned Zen master, who said, “Practice is like farting. Only you can do it for yourself, and no one can do it for you.” (Unknown)
When faced with the question about what to do when face with illness, wise Epictetus said, “Sit and pray your nose doesn’t run! Or, rather just wipe your nose and stop seeking a scapegoat.” (Discourses, 2.16.13)
We know the world is unfair. We know it’s, at times, a shell game. We know there are powers, from within and without, seeking to change the fate of the very world, Herself. We know it’s not just global powers who are unfair and deceptive. We know that sometimes, no matter how diligently we pray and make offerings, we don’t get what we need. We know the individual person can be just as cruel, as unfair, and as deceptive as the system that produced them…
… and we still have to get on with living.
We know if we allow ourselves to get sucked in to self-pity we are doomed to fail.
If our story becomes the endless recanting all the woes that have befallen us, we end up pushing people away… because while people really do want to be supportive, that becomes difficult when we aren’t doing our part, embracing what is, and doing our absolute best with what we’ve been given.
Life is difficult. Really difficult… AND, we’re still in it.
Both of those truths exist at the same time, and until we decide (or Time decides) it’s time for us to move on from life, then our job is to keep fighting, and moving towards what we want from our life…
… because choosing to give in is precisely what THEY want us to do. ;)
(See y’all tomorrow)
When faced with the question about what to do when face with illness, wise Epictetus said, “Sit and pray your nose doesn’t run! Or, rather just wipe your nose and stop seeking a scapegoat.” (Discourses, 2.16.13)
We know the world is unfair. We know it’s, at times, a shell game. We know there are powers, from within and without, seeking to change the fate of the very world, Herself. We know it’s not just global powers who are unfair and deceptive. We know that sometimes, no matter how diligently we pray and make offerings, we don’t get what we need. We know the individual person can be just as cruel, as unfair, and as deceptive as the system that produced them…
… and we still have to get on with living.
We know if we allow ourselves to get sucked in to self-pity we are doomed to fail.
If our story becomes the endless recanting all the woes that have befallen us, we end up pushing people away… because while people really do want to be supportive, that becomes difficult when we aren’t doing our part, embracing what is, and doing our absolute best with what we’ve been given.
Life is difficult. Really difficult… AND, we’re still in it.
Both of those truths exist at the same time, and until we decide (or Time decides) it’s time for us to move on from life, then our job is to keep fighting, and moving towards what we want from our life…
… because choosing to give in is precisely what THEY want us to do. ;)
(See y’all tomorrow)
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