Author: Anne

This author has written 802 articles

True Desires

    All people at work suffer in silent and subtle ways, as all people desire above all for freedom of expression and to speak and define themselves honestly.

    From: A reading by Martha Snyder

    REFLECTION:

    • Think about or write about a time you felt you expressed yourself honestly.  Where was it? What happened?
    • Is there a situation at work or personally where you  need to speak and be honest? 
    • If you could end the silent suffering, how would you do it?  Take one step toward that freedom today.

    NO ABSOLUTES

    The more we say or think that we absolutely know what is right, the more likely we are to believe it.  It becomes another unexamined construct or the mind, and thus an impediment to the very freedom and honesty and true morality we are advocating for others and claiming we live by and enjoy.  You can just feel how dangerous that kind of thinking is, especially if we are unaware of it, because that is just what everybody feels, no matter what side of an issue they fall on.  “I am right and they are wrong.”  “I know what is right, and they don’t.”  “What is wrong with them?”  Then we start attributing motive –  right away we’re in trouble.

    Source:  Arriving at your own Door  108 Lessons in Mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn

    REFLECTION:

    • Is there something you believe is right… the other is wrong? 
    • Have you taken that thought down a trail of attributing a motive? 
    • Can you see the situation from the other viewpoint? 
    • How does that viewpoint change the relationship?  Are you willing  to open the door to working through the differences?

    HOW YOU ANSWER THE CALL

    What they call you is one thing….. what you answer to is something else.

    Quote by Lucille Clifton

    REFLECTION:

    • What name do you answer to?
    • Do you need to answer to something else?
    • What is that new name?