THE DAILY SPARK

STAYING OPEN

‘The whole world could praise Sung Jung-Tzu and it wouldn’t make him exert himself.  The whole world could condemn him and it wouldn’t make him mope.  He drew a clear line between the internal and the external.” – Chuang Tzu

We cannot live without being affected by others.  We are only real when we let truth and love shape us from within. Our want to be liked, our want to avoid conflict, our want to be understood – all these traits tease us away from taking the voice within seriously.

FROM:  THE BOOK OF AWAKENING Having the Life You want by Being Present to the Life You Have by Mark Nepo.

REFLECTION:

  • Do you listen to your own voice?
  • Are you able to draw a line between your internal voice and the external voice of others?
  • Which do you act on most readily?  Observe and adjust as needed!

THE FOREST… THE TREE

Lost

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

POEM By David Wagoner titled LOST

REFLECTION:

When was the last time you took a walk in the forest?

Where is HERE for you right now?

Are you present … HERE now?

Do you need to plan a walk in the woods … to find you?  Maybe a way to spend some time this weekend?

 

TWO PEOPLE

Sometimes I’m two people.  Johnny is the nice one.   Cash causes all the trouble.  They fight.

Quote by Johnny Cash  He was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Much of Cash’s music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his career.   (1932 – 2003)

REFLECTION:

Are you two people? ( or more??)

Can you come to a truce.. a peaceful cohabitation?  Explore this.