January 03-B, 2023

Appalachian Homestead 12/03/2011 Oil Paint Rendered — Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
Everyone wants to be "happy."
No one knows what that means.

It means engaging consciously/mindfully
in the process of maturation,
seeing what's what,
rising to the occasion
and doing what needs to be done about it,
day-in-and-day-out,
for no reason other than 
because it needs to be done.

And doing that with the proper frame of mind,
the one that is appropriate to the occasion,
with no emotional reactivity/enmeshment/attachment
beyond what is needed 
to respond appropriately to the situation.

Happy is being reasonably content
with being who we are,
where we are,
how we are,
and at peace with how things are--
to the extent that we can be at peace
with the excesses and deficiencies
at work throughout the world--
on a day-by-day basis.

Saying,
"Here we are.
This is it.
Now what?
What needs to be done about it,
in response to it,
here/now?"
Squares us up with our current circumstances,
and puts us on track
to deal with the day
in the way the day needs to be dealt with,
which means having the frame of mind
necessary to meet the day
as the day needs to be met,
with no grousing, moaning, complaining,
whining, etc.--
no attitude,
no expectation,
no opinion,
no resentment, etc.--
just seeing, 
just doing,
what is called for
and letting that be that.

This is the way wolves, whales
and giant sequoias, etc.,
meet their day.
Every day.

It is the way.

–0–

Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters and five granddaughters within about twenty minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything.

2 thoughts on “January 03-B, 2023

  1. Here is how right-on this message is for today. Terminix just cancelled an appointment for today that I have been preparing for for several days by emptying out the house. Their excuse is a bureaucratic reorganization that just came up. I am 76 and have emphysema. Physical effort is costly. I have to leave my household goods outside covered in plastic in the rain while Terminix gets organized like the Church of Rome! The cat must be boarded, too. I am grateful for a nephew’s help toting, but it is hard work. Accepting the situation without resentment and with gratitude is tough, but thanks to you, I think I can retain some dignity.
    Pardon my whine!

    Liked by 1 person

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