Sunday Musings - October 30, 2022
Daily intentions
Many of us can easily allow the events de jour to dictate our behavior. We may have intended to set aside time for sabbath services or our meditation practice; to live each moment acutely aware that our only purpose is to leave a rich trail of spiritual petals . Yet, here it is the next sabbath or meditation day and it seems as if, once again, life events have dictated our behavior.
In the United States, and sadly increasingly in many other countries we seem to design a life journey which is filled to the brim with “important” responsibilities including the accumulation and care taking of many things. We may tell ourselves that our primary responsibility is to make sure our children receive the education which is most likely to result in their attaining jobs which ensure they can repeat or surpass our financial achievements.
Often our marriages may begin to feel like a business relationship requiring decisions made over breakfast or other meals. One may continue to plan family dates or even a date night once a week with our life partner. If very lucky, one may daily catch a glimpse of one’s partner and other family members; those who help us be our best selves emotionally and spiritually.
During the pandemic some individuals and families got a taste of what it felt like to have time to enjoy and challenge each other. Sales of bicycles and other exercise and play equipment went up despite the supply chain issues. For some, relationships became primary whether one was sitting quietly together or l preparing a meal together. Sabbath celebrations, meditation and other spiritual practices began to be woven into the design of one’s life journey. Love was suddenly a verb again. The God of one’s understanding was evident in the joy of being present to and with each other; even one’s neighbors.
When ordered back to the office many were acutely aware that the office or plant wanted them to leave their spiritual goals at home and focus on production - for production’s sake. The era of quiet quitting soon visited many offices, stores, and plants. Obviously not all could quit and look for jobs which allowed them to put family and spiritual practices first. One must, after all, have food, water, heat, and electric services for which one must pay. Not all employers will empathize when one is clear that God and relationships are primary.
Daily, I challenge myself to formulate and share with at least a couple of people my spiritual intentions for that day; set a goal to come as close as humanly possible to being my best spiritual self; to notice when I am judging myself and others; to notice when I am more focused on tasks than on relationships; to notice when I treat others as objects; to notice when I decide it is too risky to take the leap of faith which allows me to be present; to notice when I fail to speak out against racism, sexism, homophobia, and other ways we create an us and them; to notice when money for the latest fashion item or new gadget is more important than how my neighbor is doing. Noticing is not about shaming myself or others or pretending that that I can be more god like than God. It is an opportunity to invite myself back to center; back to my spiritual goals; back to the reality that all that really matters is that we do our best to love and take care of each other and Mother Earth. No matter what spiritual or religious framework we inherited or adopted, the goal is to show up to do our best to fill that tiny space which we need to fill just for today; that space which is no more or less important than all the other spaces which together create the circuit board design for a life well lived in community. Perhaps the sum of that community is the God of our understanding.
Setting a daily spiritual intention does not permit me to be more than the perfectly imperfect human that I am. It may permit me to approximate my best; just for today.
Written October 30, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
o
Daily intentions
Many of us can easily allow the events de jour to dictate our behavior. We may have intended to set aside time for sabbath services or our meditation practice; to live each moment acutely aware that our only purpose is to leave a rich trail of spiritual petals . Yet, here it is the next sabbath or meditation day and it seems as if, once again, life events have dictated our behavior.
In the United States, and sadly increasingly in many other countries we seem to design a life journey which is filled to the brim with “important” responsibilities including the accumulation and care taking of many things. We may tell ourselves that our primary responsibility is to make sure our children receive the education which is most likely to result in their attaining jobs which ensure they can repeat or surpass our financial achievements.
Often our marriages may begin to feel like a business relationship requiring decisions made over breakfast or other meals. One may continue to plan family dates or even a date night once a week with our life partner. If very lucky, one may daily catch a glimpse of one’s partner and other family members; those who help us be our best selves emotionally and spiritually.
During the pandemic some individuals and families got a taste of what it felt like to have time to enjoy and challenge each other. Sales of bicycles and other exercise and play equipment went up despite the supply chain issues. For some, relationships became primary whether one was sitting quietly together or l preparing a meal together. Sabbath celebrations, meditation and other spiritual practices began to be woven into the design of one’s life journey. Love was suddenly a verb again. The God of one’s understanding was evident in the joy of being present to and with each other; even one’s neighbors.
When ordered back to the office many were acutely aware that the office or plant wanted them to leave their spiritual goals at home and focus on production - for production’s sake. The era of quiet quitting soon visited many offices, stores, and plants. Obviously not all could quit and look for jobs which allowed them to put family and spiritual practices first. One must, after all, have food, water, heat, and electric services for which one must pay. Not all employers will empathize when one is clear that God and relationships are primary.
Daily, I challenge myself to formulate and share with at least a couple of people my spiritual intentions for that day; set a goal to come as close as humanly possible to being my best spiritual self; to notice when I am judging myself and others; to notice when I am more focused on tasks than on relationships; to notice when I treat others as objects; to notice when I decide it is too risky to take the leap of faith which allows me to be present; to notice when I fail to speak out against racism, sexism, homophobia, and other ways we create an us and them; to notice when money for the latest fashion item or new gadget is more important than how my neighbor is doing. Noticing is not about shaming myself or others or pretending that that I can be more god like than God. It is an opportunity to invite myself back to center; back to my spiritual goals; back to the reality that all that really matters is that we do our best to love and take care of each other and Mother Earth. No matter what spiritual or religious framework we inherited or adopted, the goal is to show up to do our best to fill that tiny space which we need to fill just for today; that space which is no more or less important than all the other spaces which together create the circuit board design for a life well lived in community. Perhaps the sum of that community is the God of our understanding.
Setting a daily spiritual intention does not permit me to be more than the perfectly imperfect human that I am. It may permit me to approximate my best; just for today.
Written October 30, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
o
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