It has certainly been awhile since I was moved to jot some things down and blast them into cyber space. I could list any number of reasons, which would read a whole lot like excuses, and end up looking very similar to lazy. My old man took the opportunity to remind me I was lazy the other day. Bless his heart.
My little monk continues to challenge me almost daily during my morning meditation. And he keeps coming back to a theme which I cannot get out of mind. In fact, the idea for this post has been simmering for a number of weeks. I don't like it. I'm not comfortable in addressing it. Indeed, the whole idea kind of *isses me off.
But, no matter what the topic, no matter what he's addressing, time and time again, my little monk keeps reiterating the theme of "Shared Human Experience." Be it anxiety, stress, happiness, anger, contentment, frustration, joy, or irritability......just fill in the blank. This dude always seems to frame at least one session around the idea of shared human experience. Indeed, the fact, that at this very moment, hundreds of millions of people on the planet are experiencing the exact same thoughts and emotions.
Supposedly, this is some how supposed to make me feel better! He opines, that if I can just observe where I am, at this very instant, and understand that I am NOT unique in that place, that the power this thought is wielding over me will be at least halved in its intensity.
I have a very difficult time applying Shared Human Experience to me. I have an extraordinarily EASY time applying it to you.
With any example I give, my inbox is certain to fill with your complaints and questions as to why I am singling you out. You will think that I'm speaking directly to you, because, apparently, you are THAT self-centered.
This list can go on ad infinitum. But here goes: You are not the first parent on the planet to have a kid eating dope. You are not the first person to ever get divorced. Lost parents. Lost children. Jobs lost. Houses foreclosed on. Parents in failing health. Children with horrible diseases. Murders. Car wrecks. Suicides. Addictions.
Even making the list seems a little stupid. But I do know this and I know it as plain as the nose on my face. Whether, I have experienced one, or all of the above, when I am in the middle of it, I know of a certainty that NO ONE ON THE PLANET UNDERSTANDS WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH OR HAS THOUGHT THE THINGS I AM THINKING RIGHT NOW!.
That LIE, that I've told myself thousands of times, has rendered me useless and caused me to squander thousands of hours of my life away, that I could have been doing something useful for someone else.
Daily, I try to stay very aware and employ several tools against the disease of Terminal Uniqueness. It usually involves me knowing two things for sure: 1) It is terminal 2) I'm not unique.
My hope is that you will join me as we can benefit from our Shared Human Experience.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
The Streak Is Over!
I still have NOT missed even ONE day. I have set aside a time to meditate every single day since purchasing the App. The cool thing is that the App counts my consecutive days meditating. The App calls it my "Current Run Streak." This morning, my current run streak said ZERO! Yesterday's effort had not been logged. As a matter of fact, next "in Line" was the same meditation I did yesterday! I am nothing short of MOROSE!
Oh, trust me! I am aware of the problem! And somehow, through the maze of the World Wide Inter Web, I think my little Buddhist Monk was reading my mind! He knew I was just trying to get to 90 days! He knew I was treating his App the same way I treat Nike Plus. He knew my motivations had gone askew. He knew I was being "mindful" only for the streak. He understood that the streak was cancelling out any benefit I was gaining from the practice. He knew that deep down I wanted to broadcast my "90 Consecutive Days" just like I informed the world that 10 Mile Run last Saturday.
Can I not do ANYTHING for the right reasons? Are my motivations and intentions always going to be this ego-centric and self-centered? Apparently so!
The funny thing is, I have no idea how my little Buddhist Monk knew to end my streak on the same day that I celebrate the most important streak in my life. How did that dude know that I got married on April Fool's Day?
Twenty-Six years ago today, the most significant streak in my life began when Hike pronounced a life sentence on my bride and me and that streak continues to this very day.
Miraculous is the only word to describe it. It is truly a miracle that I was not kicked to the curb several years ago just like the weekly trash. It was what I deserved. It was not what I got!
So, my frustration with my Meditation App will go away. I'm actually grateful to my little Buddhist Monk for helping me see the importance of the truly meaningful streaks.
The meaningful streaks are why I will continue to meditate and I will continue to use this seemingly unreliable App. The App is teaching me to be mindful. And today, the App taught me to be grateful.
And gratitude is not a bad place to be.
Oh, trust me! I am aware of the problem! And somehow, through the maze of the World Wide Inter Web, I think my little Buddhist Monk was reading my mind! He knew I was just trying to get to 90 days! He knew I was treating his App the same way I treat Nike Plus. He knew my motivations had gone askew. He knew I was being "mindful" only for the streak. He understood that the streak was cancelling out any benefit I was gaining from the practice. He knew that deep down I wanted to broadcast my "90 Consecutive Days" just like I informed the world that 10 Mile Run last Saturday.
Can I not do ANYTHING for the right reasons? Are my motivations and intentions always going to be this ego-centric and self-centered? Apparently so!
The funny thing is, I have no idea how my little Buddhist Monk knew to end my streak on the same day that I celebrate the most important streak in my life. How did that dude know that I got married on April Fool's Day?
Twenty-Six years ago today, the most significant streak in my life began when Hike pronounced a life sentence on my bride and me and that streak continues to this very day.
Miraculous is the only word to describe it. It is truly a miracle that I was not kicked to the curb several years ago just like the weekly trash. It was what I deserved. It was not what I got!
So, my frustration with my Meditation App will go away. I'm actually grateful to my little Buddhist Monk for helping me see the importance of the truly meaningful streaks.
The meaningful streaks are why I will continue to meditate and I will continue to use this seemingly unreliable App. The App is teaching me to be mindful. And today, the App taught me to be grateful.
And gratitude is not a bad place to be.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Jesus Didn't Die for a Street Name
For those of you keeping score, you know that I turned down an opportunity to go into ministry on a full time basis last year. If that scenario had played out, I would have started in that role on January 1 of this year.
We are now well into March and not a day has gone by that I have not second-guessed that decision and wondered if I did the right thing. In reality, I think very little would have changed. The only difference is that I would be getting paid for it and become one of the very things I have always despised.....the dude that's preaching for a paycheck. But that's another topic for another day.
Today, my heart is heavy and troubled because my faith tradition is disappearing and I am seemingly powerless to do anything about it. Churchitis is killing my church. We are so "churched up" that we have lost all perspective as to why we even assemble on Sunday.
In Texas, and in many other places, we name our churches by the Street Name where the building sits. Except for one. It's actually on Marsh Lane, but carries the street name of the crossroad just north of there! I know. It gives me ice cream head, too!
When one goes into the assembly at these congregations, he is "street-named" to death.
"Would like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to <Street Name>."
"<Street name> is a loving, caring bunch of people."
" Please let <Street Name> know if we can serve you."
It goes on and on and on ad nauseum. We put our faith in <Street Name>. We put our confidence in <Street Name>. We put our hope in <Street Name>. We say INCREDIBLY stupid things about <Street Name> and its impact or reputation in the community.
And I wonder what our Savior thinks about that? I wonder if he almost weeps and and wishes that things were different. I wonder if he is jealous of <Street Name>. I wonder if he ever says, "If they would only put their faith in me! If only their confidence was in me! If only they had hope in me!"
Oil-Can has been making hash marks on attendance cards for months, keeping tally of the times that preachers mention Jesus in a sermon as opposed to the times they mention the church or <Street Name>. I think the most recent average is about 9 to 1. <Street Name> gets 9 mentions for every 1 mention of Jesus.
<Street Name> or what I like to call "churchitis" is killing our church. One <Street Name> I used to attend and love very dearly is deader than a mackerel and another <Street Name> right around the corner is heading in the same direction.
In both these places, on a Sunday morning, one gets "Street-Named" to death. Bless their hearts. They don't recognize it. They never will. Because they are so in love with their <Street Name>.
But almost weekly, they continue to act ASTOUNDED that the Millennials are leaving their <Street Names> in herds! I'm not astounded. Really! Sadly! I am not.
We are now well into March and not a day has gone by that I have not second-guessed that decision and wondered if I did the right thing. In reality, I think very little would have changed. The only difference is that I would be getting paid for it and become one of the very things I have always despised.....the dude that's preaching for a paycheck. But that's another topic for another day.
Today, my heart is heavy and troubled because my faith tradition is disappearing and I am seemingly powerless to do anything about it. Churchitis is killing my church. We are so "churched up" that we have lost all perspective as to why we even assemble on Sunday.
In Texas, and in many other places, we name our churches by the Street Name where the building sits. Except for one. It's actually on Marsh Lane, but carries the street name of the crossroad just north of there! I know. It gives me ice cream head, too!
When one goes into the assembly at these congregations, he is "street-named" to death.
"Would like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to <Street Name>."
"<Street name> is a loving, caring bunch of people."
" Please let <Street Name> know if we can serve you."
It goes on and on and on ad nauseum. We put our faith in <Street Name>. We put our confidence in <Street Name>. We put our hope in <Street Name>. We say INCREDIBLY stupid things about <Street Name> and its impact or reputation in the community.
And I wonder what our Savior thinks about that? I wonder if he almost weeps and and wishes that things were different. I wonder if he is jealous of <Street Name>. I wonder if he ever says, "If they would only put their faith in me! If only their confidence was in me! If only they had hope in me!"
Oil-Can has been making hash marks on attendance cards for months, keeping tally of the times that preachers mention Jesus in a sermon as opposed to the times they mention the church or <Street Name>. I think the most recent average is about 9 to 1. <Street Name> gets 9 mentions for every 1 mention of Jesus.
<Street Name> or what I like to call "churchitis" is killing our church. One <Street Name> I used to attend and love very dearly is deader than a mackerel and another <Street Name> right around the corner is heading in the same direction.
In both these places, on a Sunday morning, one gets "Street-Named" to death. Bless their hearts. They don't recognize it. They never will. Because they are so in love with their <Street Name>.
But almost weekly, they continue to act ASTOUNDED that the Millennials are leaving their <Street Names> in herds! I'm not astounded. Really! Sadly! I am not.
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