I remember exactly where I was the day it hit me. I was on an overpass headed toward downtown Houston in a traffic grid-lock. Four lanes of traffic were at a complete standstill and no one was going anywhere. As I sat in my car and looked at the dozens of cars and drivers around me and the hundreds beyond them, it hit me like a stack of bricks: "You're not special." As suddenly as the realization came, a sense of heaviness also descended upon me. "What do you mean, 'You're not special?'" I thought back. My parents told me I was special and other people who loved me acted like I was special. But in that moment I realized the truth. I'm not special.
It wasn't until sometime later I came across the same line in the Course: "Comparison must be an ego device, for love makes none. Specialness always makes comparisons. It is established by a lack seen in another, and is maintained by searching for, and keeping clear in sight, all lacks it can perceive...You are not special..." ~ ACIM, The Treachery of Specialness
Sometimes grief can be exacerbated by feelings of specialness. On occasion I hear, "I don't understand why this is happening to me," or "I don't understand why God is doing this to me." I totally understand the feeling because I've had it myself. I still have it on occasion, but the feeling is always countered with "You're not special." That helps keep me from taking whatever it is I'm going through personally.
To realize that I'm not special is not to say that I'm not loved. Love is all encompassing and has no favorites. If something has favorites, it's not Love --- not in the truest, purest sense of the word.
Realizing I'm not special can also help stay out of both the victim and the victimizer roles. Whatever it is I've gone through in the past, it's not limited to me alone. I'm not special that way. Many, many, many others have experienced the same, or at least similar, situations. Realizing I'm not special also helps keep the victimizer role in check. Despite what I might think, I don't deserve things many others don't have just because I'm me.
Issues we have and blessings we enjoy have nothing to do with being special. To some degree they are the luck of the draw, so-to-speak. However, it's also vital to remember that just because I realize I'm not special that doesn't mean I'm not loved, as are you, your friend, and even your enemy. Love is Equal Opportunity and loves without distinction based on nationality, race, socio-economic status, political party or religion. We're not special but we are loved as the one Son of God.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Anger's Relation to Grief
Many are familiar with Elizabeth Kubler Ross and her Five Stages of Grief: Denial; Anger; Bargaining; Depression; and Acceptance. These are often associated with specific traumatic events like a death. Working as closely as I do with those who are navigating the grieving process, this formula makes for a helpful model as we all journey toward health and wholeness. The process isn't as clean and well-defined as it appears on paper as we often take two steps forward then one back. Sometimes we move quickly through one stage to another, then stay at that stage for a prolonged period of time. Sometimes we skip a stage only to go back to it at some other time. Sometimes we move forward two stages, then back three. So, as clean as it appears on paper, it's pretty unpredictable in reality.
One thing I encounter often is what, merely for sake of convenience, I'll call "unresolved grief." I use that phrase for the sake of convenience because there's another way to look at it that's more helpful that I'll discuss at a later time.
By "unresolved grief" I mean grief that, to date, we've been unable to move past. It might be associated with childhood trauma, the death of a spouse (especially an untimely death), or a host of other events that seem to linger in our psyche. Often, the grief is unconscious.
When we're unable to resolve, make peace with, move beyond or forgive (let go of) the trauma there is a predictable and unmistakable anger, even rage, that simmers just below the surface. This anger, or rage, can explode over even relatively insignificant incidents, go back into hiding, then resurface with the next event. This type of behavior is called "displaced aggression." The anger is displaced onto an object or person that has little or nothing with the unresolved, and often unconscious, grief. We're not upset for the reason we think. The grief is projected outward in the form of anger or rage onto a relatively innocent party.
Until we have made peace with the traumatic event(s), we're doomed to play this scenario out time-and-time-again, hurting both ourselves and those around us (especially those closest to us).
One thing I encounter often is what, merely for sake of convenience, I'll call "unresolved grief." I use that phrase for the sake of convenience because there's another way to look at it that's more helpful that I'll discuss at a later time.
By "unresolved grief" I mean grief that, to date, we've been unable to move past. It might be associated with childhood trauma, the death of a spouse (especially an untimely death), or a host of other events that seem to linger in our psyche. Often, the grief is unconscious.
When we're unable to resolve, make peace with, move beyond or forgive (let go of) the trauma there is a predictable and unmistakable anger, even rage, that simmers just below the surface. This anger, or rage, can explode over even relatively insignificant incidents, go back into hiding, then resurface with the next event. This type of behavior is called "displaced aggression." The anger is displaced onto an object or person that has little or nothing with the unresolved, and often unconscious, grief. We're not upset for the reason we think. The grief is projected outward in the form of anger or rage onto a relatively innocent party.
Until we have made peace with the traumatic event(s), we're doomed to play this scenario out time-and-time-again, hurting both ourselves and those around us (especially those closest to us).
Spirit Cannot be Captured
Words are merely symbols. While they make it easier for us to communicate, they can also capture, restrict and imprison those ideas we're attempting to discuss. Take, for example, the word "God." Because a particular view about "That which is beyond our knowledge" has been captured, restricted, and imprisoned by that word (i.e. old man in the sky, separate and wholly other, yet institutionalized within organizations [and therefore somewhat controllable]), some of us seek other words that attempt to break open the shell-encrusted concept. Words we use are "Spirit," "Universe," "Universal Mind," "Mind," "Love," and "Consciousness," as well as others.
Whichever word we choose, it's still just a word that attempts to capture what's not capture-able. But, I think, it's still important to have a word connected to the concept as long as the word is comfortable and comforting to us and we realize the word doesn't capture the reality behind it.
"God" is not restricted to definitions and descriptions. "Spirit" is beyond all attempts at understanding. "Mind" cannot be institutionalized. "Love" has no borders and is restricted to no particular people or institution. And, so "It" merely "Is."
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with Spirit." ~ the New Testament
Whichever word we choose, it's still just a word that attempts to capture what's not capture-able. But, I think, it's still important to have a word connected to the concept as long as the word is comfortable and comforting to us and we realize the word doesn't capture the reality behind it.
"God" is not restricted to definitions and descriptions. "Spirit" is beyond all attempts at understanding. "Mind" cannot be institutionalized. "Love" has no borders and is restricted to no particular people or institution. And, so "It" merely "Is."
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with Spirit." ~ the New Testament
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Pragmatic Spirituality
From the first time I heard it, I've been drawn to the word "pragmatic." "Pragmatic." I like the way it sounds and I especially like all the meaning tied up in that one little word:
Pragmatic: "dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations; sensible; down-to-earth."
For as far back as I can remember, I've also been drawn to the spiritual considerations of life. This particular "bent" to my personality has been the motivating power for most of my major life decisions.
It's no surprise to me, then, that the idea of "pragmatic spirituality" has a special appeal to me. This idea has been with me for so long, and so much a part of my thinking, that I don't know if I read the phrase somewhere or if I made it up myself. Whichever, it's the only type of spirituality that is sensible to me. Any spirituality that is not practical, sensible, down-to-earth, that does not help me engage the world and do better in the world, is escapism.
Often, we resort to a spirituality when our world is turned upside down through an unexpected transition --- illness, death, separation, divorce, change in circumstance. An ethereal, other-worldly, theoretical spirituality is practically useless during these times. They are found lacking and that's why people are often disappointed.
When I'm face-down in the mud, give me a pragmatic, down-to-earth, dirty, spirituality. That's what I know I can count on.
Pragmatic: "dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations; sensible; down-to-earth."
For as far back as I can remember, I've also been drawn to the spiritual considerations of life. This particular "bent" to my personality has been the motivating power for most of my major life decisions.
It's no surprise to me, then, that the idea of "pragmatic spirituality" has a special appeal to me. This idea has been with me for so long, and so much a part of my thinking, that I don't know if I read the phrase somewhere or if I made it up myself. Whichever, it's the only type of spirituality that is sensible to me. Any spirituality that is not practical, sensible, down-to-earth, that does not help me engage the world and do better in the world, is escapism.
Often, we resort to a spirituality when our world is turned upside down through an unexpected transition --- illness, death, separation, divorce, change in circumstance. An ethereal, other-worldly, theoretical spirituality is practically useless during these times. They are found lacking and that's why people are often disappointed.
When I'm face-down in the mud, give me a pragmatic, down-to-earth, dirty, spirituality. That's what I know I can count on.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Closure vs. Forgiveness
Forgiveness is letting go of what we think happened. I use the phrase "think happened" because it's not possible for humans to know all there is to know about any given situation. We're not omniscient. There are always multiple sides. Children blame their parents. Parents blame their children. Each spouse blames the other and all believe in their heart of hearts they're right. So, forgiveness is letting go of what we THINK happened.
These days, we hear little about forgiveness and a lot about "closure." After an incident we want closure. The families of victims think closure will come through a sentence from the judicial system. It doesn't happen. They still feel empty after even the most severe sentences. This is because there is no closure. There is only forgiveness and the only way to healing is down this road because its the only road that leads to emotional and spiritual health.
These days, we hear little about forgiveness and a lot about "closure." After an incident we want closure. The families of victims think closure will come through a sentence from the judicial system. It doesn't happen. They still feel empty after even the most severe sentences. This is because there is no closure. There is only forgiveness and the only way to healing is down this road because its the only road that leads to emotional and spiritual health.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
we have met the enemy and and the enemy is...
An exercise for today:
"Search your mind for those against whom you hold what you regard as a major grievance. Some of these will be quite easy to find. Then think of the seemingly minor grievances you hold against those you like and even think you love. It will quickly become apparent that there is no one against whom you do not cherish grievances of some sort. This leaves you alone in all the universe." ACIM
"Search your mind for those against whom you hold what you regard as a major grievance. Some of these will be quite easy to find. Then think of the seemingly minor grievances you hold against those you like and even think you love. It will quickly become apparent that there is no one against whom you do not cherish grievances of some sort. This leaves you alone in all the universe." ACIM
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