• About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Our Leadership
    • ADF: A Druid Fellowship
    • Photos
  • Services
  • Calendar
  • Resources & Social Justice
  • Membership
  • Blogs
    • Prairie Tidings (Church Blog)
    • Rev. Badger's 2019 Stoic Blog
    • The Practical Bard (Rev. Missy's Blog)
    • Little Druid on the Prairie (Rev. Lauren's Blog)
  • Policies
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Our Leadership
    • ADF: A Druid Fellowship
    • Photos
  • Services
  • Calendar
  • Resources & Social Justice
  • Membership
  • Blogs
    • Prairie Tidings (Church Blog)
    • Rev. Badger's 2019 Stoic Blog
    • The Practical Bard (Rev. Missy's Blog)
    • Little Druid on the Prairie (Rev. Lauren's Blog)
  • Policies
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
Mountain Ancestors Grove, ADF

A Year of Contemplation

When You Lose Control (Day 59)

2/28/2019

 
Picture
Image Credit: Unknown

People believe that those in pastoral or ministerial roles have cornered the market on peace-of-mind, and likely reside in the center of some metaphorical lotus. Well, I’ve got news for y’all: one doesn’t get “badger” in their nickname from being cute and fuzzy (or having black/silver/salt and pepper hair alone). 

No, it’s usually due to some combination of higher-than-average grumpiness, a degree of “physical” presence, and a burning desire to make your displeasure known to others, by whatever means necessary. I always have a chuckle to myself when folx say how collected I seem in some situations, or conversely, how firey I can become about others. To those folx, my reply is usually the same: you should have seen me 20-30 years ago. 

The soul is like a bowl of water, and our impressions are like the ray of light falling upon the water. When the water is troubled, it appears that the light itself is moved too, but it isn’t. So, when a person loses their composure it isn’t their skills and virtues that are troubled, but the spirit in which they exist, and when that spirit calms down so do those things.”
(Epictetus, Discourses, 3.3.20-22)

Loss of control will happen. We screw up. Accept it. It’s inevitable. 

Through that acceptance, it’s imperative to remember that it wasn’t our practices and reasonable-spirit that has left us forever… it is we who have temporarily stepped away from them. 

Take a pause. Breathe. Notice your control and good-sense waiting for you right where you left them. 

Pick them back up. 

Get back to work on right-relationship with passions and emotions… again, and again. 

After all, it’s why we practice. 

(See y’all tomorrow)

Comments are closed.

    About the Blog

    Awakening the desire to explore Stoicism, and how it relates to his existing beliefs, Rev. William committed to working through the text, The Daily Stoic, a year-long journey to awaken the Stoic mind. 
    How things are structured can be found in the first post. 

    About the Author

    Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Rev. William attended Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado where in 2007 he graduated with a degree in Religious Studies, minoring in Psychology. Currently residing in Longmont, CO, he is one of the Priests and founder of Mountain Ancestors Grove.  He spends his time playing mandolin (and some guitar), writing, engaging in LGBTQIA+ advocacy and education, community service, and sharing a larger vision of how a polytheist perspective can lead to greater human understanding, acceptance, and gods be good, peace. 

    Archives

    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.