Tuesday, February 09, 2010

The Bad News, The Good News

A radically mixed day: two pieces of bad news and one piece of good news. All coming from different directions and none of them my story to tell. The bad news is about friends' very difficult situations.

So I have today the challenge of holding hot and cold in my hand at the same time. Dealing with each requires different strategies.

In practice, this adds up to flicking back and forth, back and forth, in my attention.

It also adds up to: very preoccupied. Tried to drive to the Post Office and passed it twice before I remembered to turn in. Keep staring at my laptop and waiting for it to do things I haven't told it to do.

I have to say that sadness is getting a whole lot more time. That and a feel of dislocation: shiftings just beneath the earth's crust.

I guess my plan is to keep on with the back-and-forth -- let it have its way -- and drive carefully.

--and then, of course, I googled and found an idea worth considering. I didn't agree with everything in this health blog post, but I did like the idea of focusing on feelings of love for all concerned.



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7 comments:

Edgington said...

You mentioned, " I did like the idea of focusing on feelings of love for all concerned." You are absolutely correct!
It's a wonderful thing to send love to others and it can be as simple as forwarding an affirming quote via email. We enjoy posting daily quotes with positive and affirming messages on our blog. It's our vision that one day many people will visit the Caffection website and utilize the resource links. Everyone should know they are loved and their lives have value.
Being here for each other is just the right thing to do.

Debra said...

Peggy, I am sorry that you have received bad news from two of your friends, today. When we truly care about people, their situations can weigh just as heavily on our souls. I am glad that you also received some good news, but I am sure that the distraction of whatever else is going on, makes it very hard to focus on the good news. Please do drive carefully. And yes, focus on feelings of love for all concerned. Sometimes when I meditate, I try to visualize the person who I am focusing on sending love to, surrounded in a brilliant white light. I fill the light with as much love as I possibly can and try to hold it there for as long as I can. I guess it helps me to feel as if I am doing something to help.

Surrounding you with white light, today. I hope that things get better for your friends soon.

Hugs,
Debbie

Peggy Payne said...

Thanks for the white light and the caffection.

Anonymous said...

so sorry to hear re: yr friends' hard times--pain is damnd unavoidable , & tho the suffering is optional, i sure stumble into suffering more & longer'n i wish.

the link leads to pretty standard , somewhat intellectualized Buddhism ,which i think requires interpersonal contact for realistic teaching/learning--can't really get it from reading--gotta meditate lots & long to clear the mind in preparation for religious experience . We must believe only our own experience , not the sutras ,not our teachers , & not that particular Buddha himself--or so he's
reported to've instructed his followers--he'd likely have been sad @ how people have bent his teachings since his departure , re: the Way to Buddhism( not "Buddhism " ). Esoteric , & important . Aiki

Anonymous said...

Last Saturday, while exploring an unpredictably fun outdoor store called, "Big Mango", my cellphone rang. It was a friend crying that her brother had died. Joy of a free afternoon was sucked out of me. Paralysis snuck in. All I wanted was to find a quiet place and call her back, yet I was the driver of friends. I made the executive decision to drive to an elegant bar and forgot the way.
As I parked, I began to pray for her brother. It was all I knew to do.

Anonymous said...

It's tough to be focused and positive when we have so much stuff calamity going on in our lives. Life is not easy, but we do the best that we can with the tools that we are given. We have our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our strength. For me, if I'm in a crazed waffling mood, and I can't get the buggeryness out of my head, I focus on going out, putting on a smile, and being kind and helpful to people I encounter. Kindness is contagious, and so by giving kindness, I get kindness back, which in turn makes everyone feel good.

Peggy Payne said...

Anon 1, I do agree with you on believing in one's own experience. I have one friend who gets irritated by my patched-together form of religion: as if I'm taking the fun parts out of all the belief systems. I think she must feel very restricted by her chosen dogma.

Anon 2, sounds like we made the same set of executive decisions--and I don't know of any better ones we could have made. White light to you and your friend--and I'm going to check out this Mango place.

Excellent strategy, Irregular Goddess. Regrettably I seem to focus on eating chocolate. And/or working.