Tweet posts?

 Again, I have about 5 minutes to write my post this week, squeezing it into my lunch break. Why do I seem to have less time than usual? Anyways, it made me think that perhaps something like a tweet might be a better format for these shorter ones.

Except even when they’re supposed to be short, they generally aren’t. And I don’t really enjoy instant messaging type stuff.

Anyhoo, onto what’s current. For some reason, I hadn’t really made the connection until this weekend, that the challenges I’m facing at work — the things that make it difficult or uncomfortable or unpleasant — are just more opportunities for me to practice my spiritual growth. I like my spirituality to be very hands on and practical, not armchair philosophy. Full contact. And so, whenever there is something in my life that is triggering me or making me unhappy, that’s an opportunity to ask; what about this is keeping me out of my natural state of peace? Because there must be some issue, or I’d just be generally happy and satisfied. For some reason I hadn’t made the connection clearly, between ALL of the issues I have around my job, and that basic truth. 

Of course, that’s often more than half the battle, is just getting aware of things. Once you’ve got that, you’ve got a handle or grip on the issue, and it’s easier to extricate yourself from it, or pull up the weed, so to speak. It’s the issues we’re unconscious of that keep sticking around. Weeds we haven’t spotted yet.

Just having that realization, has lightened me up a bit. So now, I’m trying to look at all my challenges as challenges, obstacles to overcome, lessons to learn, practice for equanimity and my other spiritual tools.

I suppose only time will tell how it goes. But it really is great about bringing up tough issues for me to face:

Issues around being bad at something (I always get the opportunity to do things I’m not good at, in this job). Or do things that I’m uncomfortable doing (also, always multiple times per day.) And even more intensely, to be working at a high level of complexity and with the need for intense commitment and alertness and responsiveness, even vulnerability, while facing these issues. What great training grounds for true equanimity.

OK, gotta go,

I Out