Tag Archives: Self-love

Appetites for darkness; befriending the shadow self.

Tuesday afternoon at the library, instead of doing anything on [church obligations], I spent time with several articles that could have been predicted to make me angry. I’ve forgotten specifics about them, and Net History from the library terminal isn’t available to me here. The deal is, I recognized an appetite for darkness; “The Itch.” Similarly yesterday, yesterday morning, once I realized I really had nothing to do that day, I became intensely angry and prone to look for ways to act out that anger; e.g. by finding more such articles to fume over. Went through some more of the same last night, albeit presence in the shower saw it all go away.

All this in the face of my goal of being perpetually happy and cheerful and an emanator of light and joy.

Continue reading Appetites for darkness; befriending the shadow self.

Scandalous words

These words will scandalize some readers.

Sometime in the future, I will no doubt discuss the same ideas in a more well-ordered way.  But I think I need to produce some expression now.

Jesus never called upon his followers to “change the world.”  Jesus never confronted injustice, oppression, slavery or “the system.”

He had opportunities to do so.

Continue reading Scandalous words

Wolves in sheep’s clothing

I am at a difficult juncture.

My immediate material situation requires that, like never before in my life, I practice what I preach; care for myself; work in my own self-interest; be “here-now-can;” “keep the focus on me;” live by the Serenity Prayer.  These are what I counsel any poor person to do.  These are what I most emphatically now must do myself.

This entails dis-attending to all the current social turmoil.

It entails turning a deaf ear and blind eye to many messages, insistent messages, particularly coming from those who claim to have the best interests of the poor (like me) at heart.

Continue reading Wolves in sheep’s clothing

“A Stanford scientist says a simple psychological shift can make you more successful”

A Stanford scientist says a simple psychological shift can make you more successful

The headline left me skeptical. A scientist tells about success?

The article proves to be all about self-love, and backs up everything I’ve said about that subject. It also speaks to the issues I face at this moment in dealing with my feelings and the way I treat myself.

I urge you to read it.

Related:
Chaos overwhelms the poor
A short route to agony
Life in the outer darkness
Self-comfort
Why racism no longer matters to me

Originally posted 2016-01-30.

6. Sales pitch

THE WAY OF PEACE

← 5. Serotonin and society Home  7. Mooring oneself in What Is

Friday, November 3, 2017

This message is principally addressed to me, myself. After a couple weeks of doing pretty well at The Way of Peace, I’ve come again to a juncture where I seem to have tired of being happy, and am inclined to let go of this Way and return to, frankly, the way most people live.

Related: Learning curve

I may need to reason with myself, to persuade myself that self-management (1) is really worth the effort and (2) deserves to be a “First Thing” — a concern to be given priority, and to be held more important than other concerns. Continue reading 6. Sales pitch

Why racism no longer matters to me

The last straw for certain things came with a Baltimore Sun front page banner headline:

Skepticism, despair as killings continue
Residents question city response; Four day death toll stands at 12.

I anticipate no response from Julia CravenJenee Desmond-HarrisTa-Nehisi CoatesStacey Patton, or Brittney Cooper.[*]

What was the last straw?

In short, it’s time for me to stop concerning myself with racism and race.

Continue reading Why racism no longer matters to me

Choosing to feel good is not a no-brainer

A few days ago, in the “smoke pit” awaiting entry to the homeless shelter where I stay, I sat facing a choice of whether to feel good or feel bad.  I allowed myself to stay in that state for some time so as to examine it.  As I’ve observed many times in the past, it proved to be, apparently, a completely arbitrary choice.

This really puzzled, and puzzles me.  Choosing to feel good creates light.  Choosing to feel bad creates darkness.  There is so much “darkness” in the world, and I want to understand how it comes about.  Can it really be as simple as a wholly arbitrary choice? Continue reading Choosing to feel good is not a no-brainer