January | 2022 | Contemplative Space

In a conversation with a friend this morning I found myself in the usual position of offering my take on an observation about daily life, and realizing simultaneously, that I was actually talking to myself. I was saying something about the resolutions we all make to change some aspect of our life, in this case regarding an over-all plan for directional change; I realized what I was offering was advice that I would do well to apply to myself. And, the advice I was offering was eminently do-able.

Start by changing my big plan into a little plan that I can do now.

If I want to explore the potentials that my current ideas are pointing out to me, then why don’t I start by taking the time right now, to arrange a moment today, for me to sit down and compose myself and try to gather inward and be still enough to see, if I can state the situation, problem or hope in the form of a question. The simpler the better.

It seems paramount to first ask. Why? What is my motive?

That is a complex question and needs to be addressed as to why am I engaged in a process to make myself feel better? Isn’t all desire for change based on dissatisfaction with the current moment of state of affairs, health, wealth, etc?

In that frame of exploration I put into motion a process that tends more towards awareness than mere satisfaction, or the old standby of change-for-the sake-of-change. Just sitting still regularly gives us about all we can handle regarding the unrelenting and sometime torrential fact of everything changing, even when we least want it too.

Yes, we end up in deep territory when we openly explore our wanting something that’s better than what we have; and we can also end up in new territory where we can see further and clearer than ever before.

Not a bad spot to be in if we want to explore our future plans, hopes and designs from a more realistic and truer place.

So, slowing down and examining our present seems a sound foundation for looking towards the future, which we can’t examine as such, yet a sense of our truer place in the wider array of things seems helpful and somewhat practical and difficult.

Going carefully means also knowing where we’ve been and not being stuck there.

If I do not know where

I have been there is no

Way to know where I

Am going. Nor the

Reason why.

The path I am on

Does provide a clue,

Going slowly and

Seeing where I step,

A path is just a Way

With a Where and Why?

A process, not Event.

An interesting couple of months for me with my time and how I choose to spend it.

A steady gathering in of various fragments of my self that seem to be the most persistent and need help and attentiveness that only I can give.

Care fully. Care less.

Care Fully. Caring less.

Carefully and careless are two words that could be used in the place of some other “opposites” that can be troublesome when seen through stand-alone observations about the basic natures of perception, being, doing and all activities that set things or processes into motion.

Some things are set into motion that result in largely good/positive outcomes and some other combinations of things may result in bad/negative outcomes. The original intention may not provide the desired effect.

To be careful is a deliberate act (or refraining) that partakes of intention, will, willingness and effort to accomplish helpful tending towards the good, but not necessarily so, results.

To be careless is to be generally unaware or un-concerned as to results of activities or intentions tending towards obstacle creation, intention sidetracked or needful things undone; but not necessarily so.

‘Good’ can be readily associated with being careful and ‘Not-So-Good’ can readily be seen as the result of being careless.

What I prefer in this way of looking at Good and Not-Good is that both ways of stating these outcomes, or conditions, tend to describe the results of action, doing or setting into motion, i.e. choices made before acting.

Karma is also the word used for setting anything into motion. Whatever the intention, the results may vary, and those results may leave vestiges, residues, a fragrance, or stink, behind that will be felt, seen, smelled, incorporated or appear later elsewhere; as feelings or tendencies in other beings, situations or forms (lives).

So, being careful has far reaching consequences from a spiritual and practical point of view, and conversely being careless is a main contributor to all the variety of feelings and situations we experience as humans. We do have choices, although we may not be aware of them and don’t even know we are being careless.

I’ve become more aware of these choices as part of my aging process and have reconstituted a simple method of bringing myself to awareness during the day or night, as needed or just when I remember to do it, It’s never out of place or time. These are the four words I’m currently finding vey helpful.

This! As I sit or want to collect myself a bit I say (inwardly usually) this word to remind me of my body, my mind, my ability to look and see myself and to increase my awareness of my place in the world of things.

Here! The place or situation of where This is and the setting and feelings and availability of choices that This has.

Now! A sense of being in the ever-changing flow of space and time, and that the flow of it all is the only thing that matters. This, can’t stay Here, or Now.

What? Is this activity. What is good to know. What is good to do.

I am willing

Please help

Me to see

That there Is

A way at my

Feet in all

Directions.