An online journal sharing my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Usually when you listen to some statement, you hear it as a kind of echo of yourself. You are actually listening to your own opinion. If it agrees with your opinion, you may accept it, but if it does not, you will reject it or you may not really hear It. That is one danger when you listen to someone.
Shunryu Suzuki: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Happy 4th.
We humans can easily lose our perspective on our humble place in the universe. We get locked up in our heads, prisoners of our limited ideas and thoughts, cutting ourselves off from the wider world of experience. We forget or are simply unaware that we are part of an immense cosmic history that continues to stretch into a vast unknown future.
Ilia Delio
I cringe when I hear anyone claim they know how a situation will turn out, how people will react, or the course nature will take. Even when challenged about their assumptions, they will say yes they know. Way too much ego for me and a total turnoff. I admit we can make pretty accurate assumptions based on past evidence and experiences but we cannot predict the future. Just ask any weather forecaster. So, I try to live life with the awareness that I don’t know all that my ego would like me to think I think I know, or believe all my assumptions and opinions. And, in truth those assumptions and opinions are evolving over time. When I remain in a place of humility, accepting my limited ideas and thoughts as just that, I am open to the wider experiences life offers. Then, I’m in a place to watch as the day unfolds and enjoy the surprises, like soft pastel pink clouds outside the coffee shop! Happy Valentine’s Day!
“The longer we listen to one another – with real attention – the more commonality we will find in all our lives. That is, if we are careful to exchange with one another life stories and not simply opinions.”
Barbara Deming
I love when people share stories. Opinions? Well, not so much. Opinions seem to always build walls. Ever wonder what our world would look like if we were learning to listen to each other’s stories with real attention? Congress, churches and our neighbors would look radically different to one another. Strangers would become neighbors. Gratefully, I am blessed in my life to have people who share their life stories with me, those life changing experiences that have altered the course of their lives. And by sharing their stories, they risk letting me know more about them. I consider that a gift. While they share those stories with me they may teach me something about myself. If they have the courage to risk sharing then I need to take the risk to really listen. They were all strangers before becoming wonderful friends. I have found they are also the ones who will listen to what I have to share about my experiences in life, allowing me to be at risk. We find our commonality.
I’ve reflected and journaled for over a year whether I want to say “in my opinion” or “I believe” and what the difference is.
I’ve not always wanted to share my words on some issues because differences in opinion rise to the surface that have the potential to bring up conflict, and I hate conflict. Yet, it seems there is a desire within all of us to express ourselves, to be heard, voice our opinion or belief. I’m questioning if my opinion is really more about my egoic thinking, sharing my knowledge or what I’ve been taught. Is my opinion really my belief?
When two people have a difference of opinion, mutual true sharing can get lost in defending our opinions or refuting theirs. In my own life I would like to get to a place where I say what I believe from that deep place within, my heart or gut, rather than what I just think! Saying “In my opinion” can be an aggressive phrase while saying “I believe” is not. Doesn’t the poet, writer, lyricist share from a deep place within rather than from what they think. So, just for the heck of it, what is your opinion or what do you believe? 🤔 Happy Labor Day!
I have been known to leave my warm bed and stand in the cold to take a photograph of the sunrise. Each time I stand there with my camera a feeling of expectation rises within me. I love to see the colors of the sky turning red, blue and orange as the sun begins to peek over the horizon. When scattered clouds appear I know they will only add to the image as the sun loves to paint them. Each new sunrise is different and no two are ever the same. The sun always rises.
In the past I have stayed away from voicing my opinion on politics. Politics has never interested me. I falsely stated that politicians were corrupt or soon would be and put and end to that conversation. Probably the biggest reason was my lack of knowledge on the issues and candidates nor did I want to be wrong in what I thought or said, basically fear. In this past election I reacted the same way, staying distant to the campaign, but there is a difference this time. After discovering Obama had been elected as our new president, a feeling of hope rose within me. The American people want something new and something new is about to unfold before us and I want to see what it is. It feels different. Let’s look with anticipation and hope! The sun always rises.