THE DAILY SPARK

Painting found in the Monasterio de San Julian de Samos, Spain A PRAYERRefuse to fall down. If you cannot refuse to fall down, refuse to stay down. If you cannot refuse to stay down, lift your heart toward heaven, and like a hungry beggar, ask that if be filled.  You may be pushed down.  You may be kept from rising. But no one can keep you from lifting your heart toward heaven only you.  It is in the middle of misery that so much becomes clear.  The one who says nothing good came of this, is not yet listening.FROM:  Clarissa Pinkola Estes, THE FAITHFUL GARDNER:  A Wise Tale About That Which Can Never DieClarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph. D. is an internationally know poet, psychoanalyst and author of the classic: Women Who run With the Wolves.  REFLECTION:Have you "fallen down?"Have you refused to stay down?Have you been able to lift your heart toward heaven?Is there a situation (misery) that you are experiencing now or in the recent past that you can view the good that has come from it?Are you listening?

Be crumbled.  So wild flowers will come up where you are.  You have been stony for too many years.  Try something different.  Surrender.Poem by RUMIREFLECTION:Have you been 'stony' for many years?Have you been "crumbled?"Are you willing to try something different?What does surrender look like?Try surrendering.

The purpose of most communications isn't to completely explain yourself.  Too often, we get stuck relieving tension, making our case and closing the door on the discussion.  The purpose is to open the door to interaction, learning and action.  (Knock, Knock) "Who's there?" is a fine response to hope for.  FROM:  Seth Godin  and his Daily Blog postREFLECTION:Do you find you often are in a cycle of "explaining yourself" to others?What do you do to relieve tension when you are in conflict with another?Do you just "go along to get along?"Do you make a case for your view?Or, do you just close the door on a discussion?How can you open the door to a "courageous conversation"?