Journaling

I attended an amazing workshop yesterday on journaling. In this workshop, we talked about the benefits of journaling and how to do it effectively; for example, finding a quiet space and making it a meditative process. We even wrote for an hour, but with intention. We focused on specific questions, thought-provoking questions to stimulate the process. The only criteria is to write it for your eyes only and date the entries. What will you write about today?

Hidden Poem

Hidden
Masks hide ones true self
How you really are inside
You have to look past
The face, the body
And into the heart
To truly understand
Some have made such good masks
People think they’re something that they’re not
Then try to tell people the real them
But people don’t believe it
They look on the outside
Not the inside
That’s what really scares me
That rarely anybody will ever know
The real person
Inside of a new found friend
Or a passer-by on the street.

I wrote this in 8th grade.

Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is not about becoming more metaphysically complicated, but rather it is about growing simpler, as these very basic principles begin to permeate more and more deeply into our thought system.
—Excerpted from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles (Marianne Williamson)

It's about Relationships

Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.-- Ben Stein

Satsang

Gathering for Truth
Satsang is a Sanskrit word combining "satya" meaning "truth" and"sangha" meaning "group." It describes a gathering of people for the purpose of spiritual truth. Satsang is often used when referring to a meeting with a guru or a spiritual mentor. During Satsang, participants read inspiring words, discuss its teachings, meditate,and find ways to bring this awareness into daily life. While attending services or spiritual study groups can be thought of as participating in Satsangs, this practice can also apply to any group of people that are gathered to inspire one another and express the truth free from judgment. A Satsang can be a group of people that are gathered to sing, play, or listen to music. All that needs to be there is the intention to inspire one another and tell the truth. A Satsang can also be a support group, book club, yoga class, or meeting between friends for coffee or conversation. We don't need to be in a place of worship or supervised by appointed leaders to experience the truth. The truth can be found in every moment and it can be experienced with anyone. Spending time with someone who enlightens us can be as simple as visiting with a grandmother or talking to a best friend.There is wisdom to be gleaned from being with people even when the gatherings are not specifically intended for personal improvement or spiritual transformation. Any occasion we are gathered with people who understand and support us can be a spiritual experience. While gatherings with the intention of communing with spirit are undoubtedly powerful and inspiring, getting together with people that uplift us by their presence alone is also vital to our well-being. When we recognize all the people we know that support and enrich us, our lives can become an extended Satsang.

Service

Everyone has the power of greatness. Not for fame, but for greatness. Because greatness is determined by service.-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

When is the last time you volunteered or gave time to an organization?

Tests of Friendship

When good people have a falling out, only one of them may be at fault at first; but if the strife continues long, usually both become guilty.-- Thomas Fuller


Thoughts as I struggle with a couple friendships that are in need of CPR...or maybe just respite before recovery.