“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.”
― Pema Chödrön
― Pema Chödrön
Yesterday I was listening to a talk by Pema Chodron entitled, Coming Closer to Ourselves: Making Everything The Path of Awakening. As her words rolled out of my phone, I grabbed a piece of paper and began scribbling some highlights of awareness.
In the particular segment I was listening to, she was asking her audience to begin noticing what 'escalates' and 'de-escalates' suffering in their lives. As she continued she talked about the momentary gratification that we seek when a perhaps uncomfortable emotion like anger arises in our lives. She shared that we are so programmed to escape that we look towards food, alcohol, our phones, anything that will distract us from the intensity that we are experiencing. Can you relate to seeking gratification outside of your suffering? I know that I can. I know learning to STAY is a muscle that must be developed. And as we stay, can we stay with compassion, or do we bark orders at ourselves?
Chodron encourages us to become curious about the confusion surrounding this matter in our life. As we begin to look into what we do, we allow ourselves to become more aware and awake as to how we suffer and what lessens our suffering.
She beautifully stated that our lives are not to be figured out in a predictable fashion. Creating order only leads to suffering, because everything is always changing, we are always changing! We can look to nature to offer us this example. Seasons bring about new awarenesses and insights.
As you move through the rest of your day, I invite you to mindfully and compassionately begin noticing what escalates and de-escalates your suffering? How would your experience be different if you didn't look to escape, but rather stayed? Often the balm of healing is on the other end of our suffering.
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude,
Sarah
In the particular segment I was listening to, she was asking her audience to begin noticing what 'escalates' and 'de-escalates' suffering in their lives. As she continued she talked about the momentary gratification that we seek when a perhaps uncomfortable emotion like anger arises in our lives. She shared that we are so programmed to escape that we look towards food, alcohol, our phones, anything that will distract us from the intensity that we are experiencing. Can you relate to seeking gratification outside of your suffering? I know that I can. I know learning to STAY is a muscle that must be developed. And as we stay, can we stay with compassion, or do we bark orders at ourselves?
Chodron encourages us to become curious about the confusion surrounding this matter in our life. As we begin to look into what we do, we allow ourselves to become more aware and awake as to how we suffer and what lessens our suffering.
She beautifully stated that our lives are not to be figured out in a predictable fashion. Creating order only leads to suffering, because everything is always changing, we are always changing! We can look to nature to offer us this example. Seasons bring about new awarenesses and insights.
As you move through the rest of your day, I invite you to mindfully and compassionately begin noticing what escalates and de-escalates your suffering? How would your experience be different if you didn't look to escape, but rather stayed? Often the balm of healing is on the other end of our suffering.
May You Sweetly Seek:)
In Gratitude,
Sarah
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