I’m going to try to avoid being negative.
The headspace of negativity is not very productive. It’s like in Monsters INC, y’know? I’m not going to explain that, because of the inherent spoilers. On the other hand, you should have seen it by now. Ticht Nhat Hanh writes, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” If you go to the website where I found that particular quote you’ll see beneath that he also writes, “Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.” That encapsulates the lesson I need in these days. I must remember how to transform suffering into joy.
I believe part of that is learning to live a more compassionate life. Part of it too is to live to bring joy and understanding and peace to those I love. I’m not terribly good at that, but I need to get better. I used to listen to Gil Fronsdal a lot. He gives these Dharma talks in which he discusses and sometimes even translates the words of the Buddha. Gil talks about action a lot and ow action can be a form of meditation or, most recently, refuge. I’ve been swollen with inaction, so perhaps it is time for me to move forward.
Time to start making plans and executing them.
Some Thoughts:
- My male dog acts a total fool when my female approaches ‘heat’. He’s becoming difficult to be around. I wonder if we humans are like that?