The past few days I pulled back from activities as I gave in to my first cold virus of the season. Our weather has been unusually warm the past two weeks and desert daisies and golden poppies have already begun to blossom. Both my husband I thought, at first, we had allergies along with the flowers but the symptoms lingered and "giving in" to a cold is not such a bad choice, sometimes. I know the language of being sick usually involves the verbs "struggle" or "battling", but I just didn't do that--this time. And today, when I read a wonderful op ed piece by Vernon Klinkenborg, I connected with his references to the Lenten Season and "giving up" to what I experienced this week. http://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm/author_number/853/verlyn-klinkenborg
My "giving up" or "giving in" wasn't just about a virus. I also have been slowly relinquishing my diverse roles in the professional field I have acquired over the past thirty plus years. Partly because the field of civil conversations now seems to be more "in vogue" than it was in the early 1980s, there seem to be younger professionals who are interested in acquiring the skills I have toned. So I have mentored several and will probably mentor one or two more this year. And, as they develop, they take on some of the tasks I used to do. This feels a bit awkward, but mostly good. And it leaves me with a sense of emptiness and humility that Klinkenborg describes in his essay.
I was reading another blog writer's entry whom I follow who has been working out with "love pushups", suggestions from her personal coach as affirming her worth and purpose in life www.levonnegaddy.com . That's a fun way to start the day and week and "love pushups" are what I have energy to do today.
So, here are three questions for you (the last one is my creation):
1. What are you willing to give up, give in to, let go of this week in order to experience humility?
2. What do you love about yourself?
3. What evidence do you see around you that there is Good Orderly Direction in your life?
2 comments:
Hi Anita. Thanks for the shout out! Give in to...I need to give in fully to my current circumstance. If not, I'm going to miss some important things just lying about waiting for me to notice! Thought provoking post!
glad you liked it. giving in is a new behavior for me and it's a sign of spiritual progress.
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