Every year this time, my church, the Center for Spiritual Awareness in West Sacramento participates in an international Season for Nonviolence from January 30th through April 4th (the anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assignations). The creators of this event have made a booklet of 64 ways to practice peace in our lives on those 64 days. We're on day 5 so far, but I'm going to give you the daily tool and then write a little bit about it each day.
Feb. 3 BELIEVING "Today, believe that you have all the resources to move your life in the direction of peace. Be aware of simple demonstrations of peaceful responses."
On the surface, my life is pretty peaceful. I hardly ever hit or kill anybody. Ok, never. I am lucky enough to live in a peaceful community, with a loving family in a country that, while at war, the war seldom overtly affects me.
So why do I need to move in the direction of peace? Where can I be more peaceful? Well, a lot of places, frankly, if I'm willing to look at it. Much of the time I am not so peaceful towards myself. For example, I feel like I'm getting a late start this morning, it has taken me forever to get to this keyboard. In my head, the running commentary goes something like this, "Sara, why didn't you get up earlier? Why did you talk on the phone quite so long this morning? Those calls could have been accomplished much more efficiently."
That's a good inner monologue for me because I haven't called myself any awful names but how peaceful is it for me to be so critical of what just is? Can I do anything about the fact that it's already past 10am? Is it useful for me to bash myself? Is it really so bad to have a little bit longer conversation with people I love on the phone rather than be my usual curt self, efficient, on and off?
The answer is to all these questions, no. I could be more peaceful. Do I have all the resources? Well, if I don't, who does? I meditate and pray every day. I'm studying to be a minister. I have a wide range of friends who support me and love to hear from me when I need help being more peaceful. I can be more peaceful.
So a simple demonstration of a peaceful response today would be to laugh at myself for being late, laugh at myself for being critical, laugh at myself for blogging about it and just accept that my day is showing up the way it's showing up. I can change my focus at any time, but I cannot go backwards.
Showing posts with label Capitol Spiritual Support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Capitol Spiritual Support. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Sitting alone in a room
For 3 weeks now, I have meditated alone in a beautiful room in the state capitol and it's been okay.
The reader naturally will have two questions, the first is necessary for understanding, the second is the subject of this piece: 1) why are you alone in the room? 2) why is it okay?
I am alone in the room because no one has attended the first three meetings of a new spiritual support group that I started in the capitol building October 5th. It meets Fridays from 1:30 to 2:30pm in Room 125 of the State Capitol, downtown Sacramento.
I started the group with the encouragement of several advisers, most importantly God. I am publicizing the meeting through the Capitol Morning Report and some emails to people I think would be interested. Several people have emailed, called or stopped me to say that they're interested in attending for meditation, reading, prayer and sharing, but none have come yet.
The more interesting fact (for me) is that it's completely okay. Room 125 is incredibly beautiful. I am so lucky that the room has been set aside for this purpose. I am so lucky that I get to sit in it every week (and I am committed to continue to do it for at least 6 months). I have had wonderful meditations in there--surprisingly, given the number of boondoggles that have probably been hatched in that very space, the room has a great feel, great energy as we say on the left coast. I have felt that the time is very privileged, very precious.
The main thing is that something in me has shifted. Two years ago, I could not have done this. I would have been filled with anxiety and resentment at sitting in an empty room. The demons would have control of the room: where are your friends? what could you have been thinking? what kind of an idiot sits alone in a room? what if someone sees you? what if someone blogs about you being in this room? what does this say about you?
And now, I simply don't care. Think of all things that have to be true to allow this to happen: I have time and money to do this. I have the room. I have my health. I have the ability to sit still. And most importantly, I have a cell phone.
Life is good.
ps If you come this friday, you'll get to sit alone too. I'll be in Austin, TX for a wedding.
The reader naturally will have two questions, the first is necessary for understanding, the second is the subject of this piece: 1) why are you alone in the room? 2) why is it okay?
I am alone in the room because no one has attended the first three meetings of a new spiritual support group that I started in the capitol building October 5th. It meets Fridays from 1:30 to 2:30pm in Room 125 of the State Capitol, downtown Sacramento.
I started the group with the encouragement of several advisers, most importantly God. I am publicizing the meeting through the Capitol Morning Report and some emails to people I think would be interested. Several people have emailed, called or stopped me to say that they're interested in attending for meditation, reading, prayer and sharing, but none have come yet.
The more interesting fact (for me) is that it's completely okay. Room 125 is incredibly beautiful. I am so lucky that the room has been set aside for this purpose. I am so lucky that I get to sit in it every week (and I am committed to continue to do it for at least 6 months). I have had wonderful meditations in there--surprisingly, given the number of boondoggles that have probably been hatched in that very space, the room has a great feel, great energy as we say on the left coast. I have felt that the time is very privileged, very precious.
The main thing is that something in me has shifted. Two years ago, I could not have done this. I would have been filled with anxiety and resentment at sitting in an empty room. The demons would have control of the room: where are your friends? what could you have been thinking? what kind of an idiot sits alone in a room? what if someone sees you? what if someone blogs about you being in this room? what does this say about you?
And now, I simply don't care. Think of all things that have to be true to allow this to happen: I have time and money to do this. I have the room. I have my health. I have the ability to sit still. And most importantly, I have a cell phone.
Life is good.
ps If you come this friday, you'll get to sit alone too. I'll be in Austin, TX for a wedding.
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