What a beautiful essay. So much awareness and wisdom weaved with intentional experience, producing a mix of authority and lightness. I appreciate it, and will revisit. (I was reminded of Gurdjeff's practice of 'remembering' oneself, as you go through the day. It has an effect of not just becoming aware of how often we 'forget' ourself, but by recognizing in the in-and-out quality of 'self' how a deeper presence is always present and does not require 'self' at all. A hint, I think.
Maybe "We are finite creatures in an infinite world." is a a deep assumption? Maybe we are infinite creatures who sometimes experience the world as finite. Sometimes 'I' show up as a body, sometimes by body shows up in the larger space of me.
I love Gurdjeff's observation and suggested practice! I have been engaged in that for several years as the expression of the cummulative wisdom I've been getting from the 'deeper' yogic practices of the Yamas and Niyamas, etc. All the best.
we are likely both, and the spiritual experience of the infinite is with the spiritual finiteness of this body. a thought subject to change, of course.
i comment here because by odd circumstance i found myself back here after having cast an i ching for my next essay (about superstition in response to tereza suggesting i am or have superstitious thinking). i got:
60 Limitation:
… In relation to the moral sphere it means the fixed limits that the the discerning clear-seeing set upon actions — the limits of loyalty and disinterestedness.
…
Judgment
Success.
Galling limitation are not be pursued.
Limitations are both troublesome and effective. When we live economically in normal times, we are prepared for times of want. To be sparing saves us from humiliation. Limitations are also indispensable in the regulation of world conditions. We see that in nature there are fixed limits for summer and winter, day and night, and these limits give the year its meaning.
With limitation we also observe due measure. When someone imposes galling limitations upon his/her own nature that is injurious. And when someone imposes limitations on others, that creates rebellion. Therefore it is important to set limits even upon limitation.
The Image
…
Thus the discerning with clear-seeing
Create number and measure,
And examine the nature of virtue and correct conduct.
A lake is something limited. Water is inexhaustible. A lake can contain only a definite amount of the infinite quantity of water; this is its peculiarity. In human life too the individual achieves significance through clear vision and the discrimination that knows to set limits. Therefore what concerns us here is the problem of clearly defining these discriminations because the ability to differentiate is the backbone of the integrity that empowers appropriate eccentric action. Unlimited possibilities are not suited to people; being born is into life as a physically distinct expression of nature and, as with the lake, boundlessness would dissolve those distinctions.
My sister told me a story years back. She told gramp she "has to" do something. In his playful, joking way, he said no, you "get to" do it.
I think "get to" fits in well with your deserving list. If it is said about something a person does not want to do, its almost a bullying positive affirmation, akin to you should be grateful you get to do this! Many kids/people arent so blessed as you!
Another word "need to" hmmmmm. Lol
Maybe it depends on the context. Some people use words passive-aggressively to manipulate others. You "need to" do this.
I'm rather attached to the word thank you. I use it mostly as an expression of gratefulness, valuing people who I admire and love.
'get to' is better than have to, and yet i agree with you 100%. hmmmm. maybe i'll edit the essay to include it. as you note, 'get to' is often taught improperly because the student is being forced to deny their feeling that it is an opportunity. thank you for highlighting this excellent point. and it is for that reason i prefer 'choose to'. with 'choose to' it is one hundred percent a power choice and has no emotional baggage. lol! of course, if i were a poor teacher i would tell you that you have to use choose to in order to become free! and one of friends understood what i said at an intellectual level and then that became something he felt he 'had to do' and a year later got very angry at me and told me all the ways he didn't have to! (i saw the humour, he didn't!)
the biggest part of changing the language is that the resistance to it — not hearing it in others, or yourself and finding ways to avoid doing it — are shadow pointers. those resistances are pointing to our shadows! isn't that great?! and this is very important with should, which might be an even bigger shadow part of our lives than have to.
you're welcome! thank you for reading and for the great comment!
Thank you again for your post. It helped me to think about the words I use.
I literally just typed, "it made me think" then I though, "made me" sounds cringy, forceful, almost abusive. I'm ok with it but it is nice to consider how we speak to/about ourselves and others.
I used to think "get to" was very clever and positive. If genuinely feeling the spirit of getting to do something, in the "zone of gratefulness," it seems like a great thing. Sometimes it may also be a nice reminder that grateful is a better place to be.
Just a stylistic comment. I'm finding it hard to read your articles with the dark background. I wonder if I can change my page view settings? Thanks. Good articles.
I'm glad you are enjoying the articles. And a big thank you for the 'stylistic' comment. I have wondered if it is time to change my format away from the black. I will do an intuitive process to confirm that thought abetted by your comment. I expect that I will change it later today. (I'm not sure how you can change the style from your end to read. I know that it stays white in the email, if your email supports the full length, that may work in the interim.)
You know what? This is an enlightening change of pace in this world of ours. How to reclaim our sovereignty with words. Methinks I choose to update my writing skills.
Wonder-full! Words are our power to wonder, and misuse has taken wonder and turned it to blunder and wander. LoL! Life really does have a wicked sense of humour.
I would love to read/hear from you about the changes you feel with that change.
And I didn't include 'but' in this essay. Maybe for another day. I am finding in the last two years that removing 'but' has been liberating and, for me anyway, somewhat more challenging. The spellish nature of it is very subtle, and likely, therefore, more powerful than expected. That is still a work in process, although I've begun to see the effects of its removal.
Happy power-writing!
Thank you, all the best, with peace, respect, love and gratitude.
What a beautiful essay. So much awareness and wisdom weaved with intentional experience, producing a mix of authority and lightness. I appreciate it, and will revisit. (I was reminded of Gurdjeff's practice of 'remembering' oneself, as you go through the day. It has an effect of not just becoming aware of how often we 'forget' ourself, but by recognizing in the in-and-out quality of 'self' how a deeper presence is always present and does not require 'self' at all. A hint, I think.
Maybe "We are finite creatures in an infinite world." is a a deep assumption? Maybe we are infinite creatures who sometimes experience the world as finite. Sometimes 'I' show up as a body, sometimes by body shows up in the larger space of me.
A conscious, 'thank you' for the reflection.
Hola, Kathleen.
I love Gurdjeff's observation and suggested practice! I have been engaged in that for several years as the expression of the cummulative wisdom I've been getting from the 'deeper' yogic practices of the Yamas and Niyamas, etc. All the best.
i've thought about the finite/infinite.
we are likely both, and the spiritual experience of the infinite is with the spiritual finiteness of this body. a thought subject to change, of course.
i comment here because by odd circumstance i found myself back here after having cast an i ching for my next essay (about superstition in response to tereza suggesting i am or have superstitious thinking). i got:
60 Limitation:
… In relation to the moral sphere it means the fixed limits that the the discerning clear-seeing set upon actions — the limits of loyalty and disinterestedness.
…
Judgment
Success.
Galling limitation are not be pursued.
Limitations are both troublesome and effective. When we live economically in normal times, we are prepared for times of want. To be sparing saves us from humiliation. Limitations are also indispensable in the regulation of world conditions. We see that in nature there are fixed limits for summer and winter, day and night, and these limits give the year its meaning.
With limitation we also observe due measure. When someone imposes galling limitations upon his/her own nature that is injurious. And when someone imposes limitations on others, that creates rebellion. Therefore it is important to set limits even upon limitation.
The Image
…
Thus the discerning with clear-seeing
Create number and measure,
And examine the nature of virtue and correct conduct.
A lake is something limited. Water is inexhaustible. A lake can contain only a definite amount of the infinite quantity of water; this is its peculiarity. In human life too the individual achieves significance through clear vision and the discrimination that knows to set limits. Therefore what concerns us here is the problem of clearly defining these discriminations because the ability to differentiate is the backbone of the integrity that empowers appropriate eccentric action. Unlimited possibilities are not suited to people; being born is into life as a physically distinct expression of nature and, as with the lake, boundlessness would dissolve those distinctions.
My sister told me a story years back. She told gramp she "has to" do something. In his playful, joking way, he said no, you "get to" do it.
I think "get to" fits in well with your deserving list. If it is said about something a person does not want to do, its almost a bullying positive affirmation, akin to you should be grateful you get to do this! Many kids/people arent so blessed as you!
Another word "need to" hmmmmm. Lol
Maybe it depends on the context. Some people use words passive-aggressively to manipulate others. You "need to" do this.
I'm rather attached to the word thank you. I use it mostly as an expression of gratefulness, valuing people who I admire and love.
*thank you*!! 🙏🤣
yes.
thank you for reading.
'get to' is better than have to, and yet i agree with you 100%. hmmmm. maybe i'll edit the essay to include it. as you note, 'get to' is often taught improperly because the student is being forced to deny their feeling that it is an opportunity. thank you for highlighting this excellent point. and it is for that reason i prefer 'choose to'. with 'choose to' it is one hundred percent a power choice and has no emotional baggage. lol! of course, if i were a poor teacher i would tell you that you have to use choose to in order to become free! and one of friends understood what i said at an intellectual level and then that became something he felt he 'had to do' and a year later got very angry at me and told me all the ways he didn't have to! (i saw the humour, he didn't!)
the biggest part of changing the language is that the resistance to it — not hearing it in others, or yourself and finding ways to avoid doing it — are shadow pointers. those resistances are pointing to our shadows! isn't that great?! and this is very important with should, which might be an even bigger shadow part of our lives than have to.
you're welcome! thank you for reading and for the great comment!
Thank you again for your post. It helped me to think about the words I use.
I literally just typed, "it made me think" then I though, "made me" sounds cringy, forceful, almost abusive. I'm ok with it but it is nice to consider how we speak to/about ourselves and others.
exactly!
inspired me to think! wow, that is uplifting and is energetically invigorating in a way that 'made me' is not. wonderful.
I love this!
I used to think "get to" was very clever and positive. If genuinely feeling the spirit of getting to do something, in the "zone of gratefulness," it seems like a great thing. Sometimes it may also be a nice reminder that grateful is a better place to be.
🙏🙏🙏
Just a stylistic comment. I'm finding it hard to read your articles with the dark background. I wonder if I can change my page view settings? Thanks. Good articles.
Hola, OIG!
I'm glad you are enjoying the articles. And a big thank you for the 'stylistic' comment. I have wondered if it is time to change my format away from the black. I will do an intuitive process to confirm that thought abetted by your comment. I expect that I will change it later today. (I'm not sure how you can change the style from your end to read. I know that it stays white in the email, if your email supports the full length, that may work in the interim.)
Thanks. I look forward to reading your articles against a lighter backdrop:)
I've changed it. See if this works better for you.
All the best.
Thanks. Soooo much better! Love the pale French blue :)
Da Nada. (I like it better too.)
All the best, good night. (Working on the next essay)
You know what? This is an enlightening change of pace in this world of ours. How to reclaim our sovereignty with words. Methinks I choose to update my writing skills.
Wonder-full! Words are our power to wonder, and misuse has taken wonder and turned it to blunder and wander. LoL! Life really does have a wicked sense of humour.
I would love to read/hear from you about the changes you feel with that change.
And I didn't include 'but' in this essay. Maybe for another day. I am finding in the last two years that removing 'but' has been liberating and, for me anyway, somewhat more challenging. The spellish nature of it is very subtle, and likely, therefore, more powerful than expected. That is still a work in process, although I've begun to see the effects of its removal.
Happy power-writing!
Thank you, all the best, with peace, respect, love and gratitude.