Crafting Gentleness

Sunday, September 23, 2007

passing through

... just a few thoughts before getting back to teaching as of tomorrow ...

I've been thinking about the idea that 'gentleness moves'. It's related to the thought that sometimes intentions are overrated. Maybe it's a better idea to just listen and respond to situations as they arise? Direction happens the more I listen to myself and to what's going on, and the less I seek a preconceived direction, at least so it seems to me. Movement is a key aspect of any process, and I think it may be enough to trust in the movement that any situation will bring to you and with you. Provided that you don't approach the situation with the view that it is somehow not sufficient for you. Sufficiency works as a principle in my experience. Another one that a friend told me recently that keeps her sane is 'there is benefit in everything'. That's been a helpful one of late.

I recently had a wonderful time in London, perhaps one of the most amazing weeks of my life. I had the privilege of hanging out with Dadi Janki of the Brahma Kumaris. She sort of adopted me, which was so humbling, and I think I have a new buddy. She's a bit cheeky, in a great way, perhaps in that way that you can only be if you're in your nineties :) I also got to make some great new friends that I will carry with me for a long time. I hope to meet them all again soon.

My aspiration to have a house in the hills has fallen through. Turns out that the house that I chose is to all intents and purposes unmortgageable. Seems that banks are a little less romantic than I am. Ah well. I can take stock and maybe try again for something else in a bit.

My writing is going okay. I've realised that if I were to write a thousand words a day then I would have my 30,000 word book finished in a month. I won't manage that, but I should manage it a few times a week. Here's hoping I get a manuscript together before Christmas.

I think I've talked about it before here, but it seems that I am most aware of an absence of gentleness when I am surprised by my own behaviour. I was a bit snotty with someone in a shop the other day, and I was very embarrassed about it afterwards. Yes, it was one of the more stressful weeks of this year so far for me, but that's an explanation, not an excuse. It shouldn't take me being less than nice to someone for me to realise that I'm stressed and for me to do something about it.

I resolve to take better care of myself during this academic year, to eat less sugar (guaranteed no-no), and to exercise regularly. I will also make an effort to meditate once a day in some form if I can remember (I am not the most disciplined of people).

I'm also going to see if I can arrange a gentleness workshop in Derry somewhere in the next couple of weeks.

I'm tired. I'm not sure if I'm ready for the new term, but I'll have to be.

1 Comments:

  • I appreciate your thoughts about movement. I have been noticing the difference between the theme of "knowing what you stand for" in many quasi-religious country songs, and the great theme of a journey that threads through much of the bible. How can you journey when you're "taking a stand"?

    By Blogger arcolaura, at Sunday, 23 September, 2007  

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