Guest guest Posted January 19, 2001 Report Share Posted January 19, 2001 On Fri, 19 Jan 2001 00:48:18 UnbrknCh8n wrote: >In actuality, although I looked like I was doing a nice thing (shoveling >my neighbors' driveways) I was really just playing in the snow. Because >it is somewhat unusual to find a 220 pound, 36 year old semi-grown man >spending an afternoon playing in the snow, I shoveled snow (and by doing >so made my behavior a little more "respectable"). >So I got to spend the afternoon shoveling snow, playing in the snow, and >playing with my kids. It was wonderful. It very much brought me into >the present moment, and reinforced to me the fact that I am a man truly >blessed. > >Time and time again recently I have been gently confronted with the >message that what I should be "working on" is not trying to change or >better myself, but instead accepting myself and my life just as it is. >Life is good. There is much peace and beauty, if I but look for it. >Sometimes it takes a big catastrophe to blast me out of my rut. This >time all it took was some snow and some time off (and a couple of >living reminders of mindfulness and love in the form of my wonderful >daughters). > >Thanks for inviting me to share, Harsha. If anyone wants to come over >to my house and play in the snow, you are cordially invited to come over >and play (even the list Dominatrixs [whatever the plural is... That is Dominatrices singular: -ix plural: -ices eks.: Matrix matrices (word also related to Sanskrit (matrka=mother,womb) >are invited). Feel free >to come any time... I anticipate that the pile of snow I made won't melt >until mid-June. ;-P Thank you for the insights and for sharing the wonderful story with us, Mike. What a nice day out. It's good when the reminder that happiness is already in our lives comes to us. I hope your neighbours became positively surprised and delighted when they say someone had shoveled the driveway for them. Have a good late winter / early spring. Love, Amanda. Angelfire for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.angelfire.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 19, 2001 Report Share Posted January 19, 2001 In a message dated 1/18/01 10:54:35 PM Mountain Standard Time, UnbrknCh8n writes: << I have everything I need (and more) to be happy and content >> I think this feeling is a pretty good example of living in grace. Lovely story. H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 19, 2001 Report Share Posted January 19, 2001 That is a wonderful and delightful story Mike. Thank you for answering the call to share it. I love the way you write about everyday things with such self- insight and depth. You must be in good shape to shovel your neighbor's driveways as well as your own! :-) Lots of love to you and your family Harsha UnbrknCh8n [unbrknCh8n] Friday, January 19, 2001 12:48 AM Re: Mike/snow story Gee, Harsha. I know we are all one proton and all (or is it electron? Trinitron?) but does that have to mean that you know how I spend my days off? ;-) Actually, I'd be happy to share it. Thanks for asking. It snowed all night Monday (and much of Tuesday) here in Southern Colorado. We got almost a full foot (0.3 m.) Although snow is not all that uncommon here, it isn't often that we get this much at once. I have always really liked weather. Snow, rain, sun, hail, pretty much anything but wind I have really liked. So I was pretty much in heaven. And my children (twin 6 year old girls) had school called off because of the snow. I could really stand to learn from their reaction to having school called off. Whereas I was very excited for them (they didn't have to go to school but instead were able to stay home) they were pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, even though they both really like playing in the snow. But after watching and talking with them I realized that it wasn't indifference that I saw, but instead a wonderful example of acceptance. They would have been happy going to school, and they were happy not going to school. What a cool example of children doing naturally what some adults (such as myself) do only with conscious deliberation. But I digress... So I went to work for a few hours, then had the afternoon off. I came home and decided to shovel the driveway and walk (I've always liked shoveling snow because it gets me outside being active and can almost be a mindfulness meditation for me). So I started shoveling the driveway and sidewalk, and I put most all the snow in a big pile in the middle of my front yard (for my kids to play with). But when I finished shoveling my own yard, I still wanted to stay outside. It was a bright, sunny day and I really liked being in the snow, so I started shoveling the driveways of my neighbors. In actuality, although I looked like I was doing a nice thing (shoveling my neighbors' driveways) I was really just playing in the snow. Because it is somewhat unusual to find a 220 pound, 36 year old semi-grown man spending an afternoon playing in the snow, I shoveled snow (and by doing so made my behavior a little more "respectable"). I realize that I probably shouldn't be especially concerned what people think of me, but translating this knowledge into behaviors and attitudes has been somewhat slow going for me). So I got to spend the afternoon shoveling snow, playing in the snow, and playing with my kids. It was wonderful. It very much brought me into the present moment, and reinforced to me the fact that I am a man truly blessed. Time and time again recently I have been gently confronted with the message that what I should be "working on" is not trying to change or better myself, but instead accepting myself and my life just as it is. Unfortunately, I tend to intellectualize most everything, often at the expense of actually living and experiencing life. The afternoon in the snow was a wonderful reminder to me that I have everything I need (and more) to be happy and content, if I but slow my life down a little and enjoy it (rather than trying to rush through a week to enjoy a weekend, or rush through a day to spend a "quiet" evening at home). Life is good. There is much peace and beauty, if I but look for it. Sometimes it takes a big catastrophe to blast me out of my rut. This time all it took was some snow and some time off (and a couple of living reminders of mindfulness and love in the form of my wonderful daughters). Thanks for inviting me to share, Harsha. If anyone wants to come over to my house and play in the snow, you are cordially invited to come over and play (even the list Dominatrixs [whatever the plural is... it's not in my dictionary... maybe Angelique can help me out] are invited). Feel free to come any time... I anticipate that the pile of snow I made won't melt until mid-June. ;-P Take care my friends, and be peaceful- Mike // All paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights, perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and subside back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not different than the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the nature of Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is always Present. It is Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the Finality of Eternal Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from within into It Self. Welcome all to a. To from this list, go to the ONElist web site, at www., and select the User Center link from the menu bar on the left. This menu will also let you change your subscription between digest and normal mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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