Sundays With Buddha

 

 

 

Week 10

 

 

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act upon them?

                                                                                                                     --Buddha

 

 

I had a real hard time last night/this morning at work. I’m finding my tolerance waning drastically at being treated unjustly. I’ve seemed to catch myself in the very beginning of re-developing the attitude of “I’m not going to let myself be treated this way.” But, to be fair to myself, this was an incident worthy of attention as it involved patients and would do well not to become repeated behavior. Anyhow, I fear a slow reversion back to my more negative attitudes, using language I shouldn’t, showing actions I regret, etc.

This quote is a welcome reminder that, no matter how much I say I am a believer in ‘this’ or ‘that’, if I never keep to the practices of which I “preach”, what good is the testimony of believing in such practices? I understand that life is a journey, learned along the way, from very real, very human mistakes and experiences and it is an ebb and flow of 'good' and 'bad', yin and yang, but I think we all would like the positive to outweigh any negative, more often than not, especially when we are making a concerted effort towards change.

The whole idea of doing this weekly lesson series was to get, and keep, me thinking of one of these wisdom lessons from the Buddha all week long, allowing me to contemplate it and write about how it has already helped me, or how I plan to incorporate it into my life, so that I can write a little all through the week and have it ready for publishing Saturday night/Sunday morning. The idea was that I would keep myself focused in the mindset that I long for, and hopefully help someone else in the meantime.

Instead, I've been allowing myself to get overwhelmed with everyday life and rush through the week barely holding on to my sanity with my everyday dealings and therefore rush to finish it all on Saturday afternoon (like right now),evening ,or very late Saturday night.

Not at all how this was meant to be, in my mind, anyway.

But, then, sitting here, pulling out my journal, opening right to this quote…turned out to be just what I needed; a reminder that I can put myself first, sometimes. This isn’t a job, homework, or a household chore.  I do this for my Spiritual health and to offer whatever insight I have to anyone who needs it. That is a top priority to me.

I desperately needed something to help remind me that, if I can't follow what I believe in, how can I reassure anyone that there is something out there to have hope for? Turning to that page in my journal just restored my faith that we are provided with whatever we need at the time. We just have to be open to seeing it.

 

I am so grateful for the little ‘wake-up call’ I received this afternoon. It reminded me to start making myself and my needs a priority. It’s okay to do that. When you take care of you, you are better to serve others, however you choose to do so.

 

Thank you for reading today.

 

Namaste,

Nanette