March 2008 ~ Easy Does It

For my "jottings" inspiration this year, I am drawing from a book called "Worldwords," which is a collection of words from around the world… one word for each day of the year… with an explanation of the word and a brief interpretation of its meaning. I will share the word from each month, along with some thoughts from the book and some of my own. The word for March is:

mollo mollo (MOH–lo MOH-lo) French
Easy does it; carefully, sweetly.

Have you every tried so hard to do something right that you ended up with a mess?! Trying to do everything right comes naturally to those of us who grew up hearing the old adage, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well (or right)!” Is this not true? Of course, it is true, but when “doing it well” becomes an obsession, it crosses the line between striving for excellence and being a perfectionist.

One of the primary dis-eases in our culture is something called STRESS! Stress, according to the dictionary, is “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” Ask yourself this question: what are my feelings when I am stressed? I find that stress tends to wear other names, such as inadequacy, anger, worry, uncertainty, and anxiety. Stress, simply put, is fear in the face of what life is presenting to us at this moment. And, often, that fear is based in a lack of confidence that we can do it right!

Here are a few lines from the book “Worldwords” ~

“Like a doctor shouting at his patient 'Just Relax!' we can wreak havoc by struggling too hard to get something right. In delicate situations the energy flows best when allowed to expand rather than constrict, and we embrace the task rather than attempt to control it.”

Embracing the task, whatever it is, includes being willing to let it unfold in its own way, without trying to control what that way must be, what the outcome must look like. This “mollo mollo” frame of mind allows us to take each step that is revealed to us, without being stressed about the steps that we cannot yet see.

Many 12 Step Recovery programs work with the ideas of “one day at a time” and “easy does it.” These are valuable affirmations for those of us who are recovering perfectionists. In addition, we may wish to softly say “mollo mollo” as we move through our day, especially when we start feeling stressed… “mollo mollo”… easy does it… all is well.

jbm

February 2008 ~ The Beloved

For my "jottings" inspiration this year, I am drawing from a book called "Worldwords," which is a collection of words from around the world… one word for each day of the year… with an explanation of the word and a brief interpretation of its meaning. I will share the word from each month, along with some thoughts from the book and some of my own. The word for February is:

Priya (PREE – yuh) ~ a Sanskrit word which means "the beloved."

(from the book): "Relationship can be a devotional, spiritual, practice of awakening. When we are really able to see with the heart, and appreciate that our most intimate (friend) is only a universal breath away, we are filled with gratitude for the truth and beauty of what is present, now in this moment together. Walls of fear come down, and this beloved person is appreciated for the mirror they are to our own true nature. Beyond the old ideas of our self, we guide each other to new realities. Most of us can taste and savor such moments of connection, but rarely can we bring such light into permanent focus. A glimpse is enough to remind us that it is possible to be fully accepted as we are, and to experience the intimacy we long to create."

(from me) While February hosts several special days, it is best known for Valentine’s Day. This is the day we honor those we love… family… friends… partners… anyone with whom we share a relationship. The Hallmark card company makes it possible for us to send a valentine to almost everyone, however close or casual our relationship may be.

I especially like the line from the book quote that says, "Walls of fear come down and this beloved person is appreciated for the mirror they are to our own true nature." In my recent reading, I came across this idea with the suggestion that we think of someone we admire and love to be with. Now ask these questions:

What qualities do I value in this person ?
How do I see those same qualities in myself?

Now let us think of someone we do not admire nor enjoy being with. Can we see those qualities as reflections of something in ourselves? Is there something to be learned?

Looking for what is mirrored in our relationships can bring a new sense of clarity and appreciation for "the beloved" and for ourselves. That we are only a universal breath apart is a breath-taking idea! This is what we mean by "beholding the Christ," seeing with the eyes of "Oneness," being in Unity. This is what we mean by spiritual practice, unfoldment, enlightenment! This is what we mean by world peace!

And we can start right where we are! Happy Valentine’s Day, Priya!


jbm