| ANNE WILLIAMSON |
Anyone who knows me well - and now, anyone reading this blog - knows I struggle at times with depression. My fear gets the better of me, and I sink. Thankfully, I always rise too; but, in the moment, depression sucks.
Recently, when in a depressed state, I pulled out my Bible and found myself reading in Matthew I should love my enemies. Having no human enemies, I felt deeply I was to love the "enemy" within: the depression. So, I did. I got still and started sending love to my fear, love to my depression. The best way to describe the result is expansive. I felt my heart soften and open. Instead of the exhaustion of constant resisting and fighting, I began to fall into loving acceptance. In so doing, I felt the fear recede, as if it too had received what it needed.
What do you think about the idea of acceptance? Take a moment to write down your thoughts. Then, LEARN, LISTEN, LOVE...
I love both the below interviews so much I couldn't pick just one. Thankfully, they're 5 minutes in total.
What do you think? What struck or is stirring in you? Keep listening...
“I want to emphasize that acceptance is anything but passive. It’s a highly active, intensely alive process.”
Sit with these words a moment. Maybe read or speak them aloud a couple of times. What do you hear? Keep listening...
Out of what is stirring in you, set an intention for this coming week. Decide to actively love yourself, another, God.
If you already were or are open to the idea of acceptance, try this exercise: Think of something you actively and persistently resist in your life. Maybe it's a feeling, conflict, a person, your weight, etc. Hold it in your mind's eye. Now, love it, wish it well. As Dr. Shefali Tsabary says, accept that it is simply part of the "as-is-ness" of your life in this moment. Then, notice any interior shifts. Maybe share your experience with another.