Touchstones - Self-importance...

[MajestyJo]

If anyone has the post, or knows where to get the post for yesterday, I would appreciate them posting it. Don't' know how to access it and don't have the book. If you can't post it, please send me a private message.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

You are reading from the book Touchstones

Self-importance is our greatest enemy. Think about it - what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellowmen. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.
—Carlos Castaneda

Were we offended by someone today? Do we harbor resentment for remarks, oversights, or unpleasant mannerisms? Do we feel tense or uneasy about how someone else has treated us? We can probably make a good case to justify our reactions. Perhaps we are in the right and they are in the wrong.

Yet, even if we are justified, it doesn't matter. We may be puffing ourselves up and wasting energy. When we are oversensitive, we take a self-righteous position, which leads us far from our path of spiritual awakening. Our strength is diminished.

How much better it is to let go of the lightness, let go of our grandiosity, and accept the imperfections in others. We need to accept our own imperfections too. When we do, we are better men, and our strength and energy can be focused on richer goals.I will accept others' imperfections; I do not need to be right.

[yukonm]

February 3, 2012

You are reading from the book Touchstones

Compassion is ... a spirituality and a way of living and walking through life. It is the way we treat all there is in life - ourselves, our bodies, our imaginations and dreams, our neighbors, our enemies... Compassion is a spirituality as if creation mattered. It is treating all creation as holy and as divine... which is what it is.
—Matthew Fox

In our search for growth, serenity, and contentment, we can start at a very practical level. Simply treat ourselves, inside and out, and everything around us in a respectful and caring way. Many men have not learned how to do that. Some of us have learned to accept abuse and pain, or to be tough and abusive.

We can learn about being in a healthy relationship, about befriending ourselves and others and all of creation. With practice, we will learn more and more about having compassion. As we do, our self-centeredness and our self-pity will fall away.

Today, I will be compassionate toward each of the details of creation, and practice acceptance both within and outside myself.

[yukonm]

MJ,
I posted Touchstones on another website for a couple of years. If you need to know anymore posts of this reading, please let me know.

[MajestyJo]

Have been getting them from Hazelden. I post it on the other site. I got behind with being off. I really like it, maybe we women should read it for balance in our life.

Glad you enjoy it too. I figure the men would appreciate it, not to many from the man's point of view, other than the Big Book. :)