tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post3199531612522451368..comments2024-03-28T20:04:20.286-07:00Comments on One Cʘsmos: "Lord Don't Move My Mountain, But Give Me the Strength to Climb"Gagdad Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-14218253941938254782007-09-01T15:23:00.000-07:002007-09-01T15:23:00.000-07:00I'm not a regular reader here (that may change). ...I'm not a regular reader here (that may change). I found your blog through someone linking to this particular post.<BR/><BR/>One more "take" on Ms. Otis's situation:<BR/><BR/>Diagnosis: combination of depression and normal spiritual journey. (Been involved deeply in both, details look all too familiar.) :-)<BR/><BR/>For depression: exercise, every day. Do it even if you don't want to, even if you don't have the initiative, even if you have to make a pact with a friend to do it with you. Exercise outdoors, to get the sunlight in addition.<BR/><BR/>Plenty of studies (you can find them online) second the efficacy of this suggestion. It worked, and continues to work, for me. And it's drugless.<BR/><BR/>For the spiritual journey: patience. Frustration, extreme frustration, is normal. <BR/><BR/>Ms. Otis wrote, "and now I'm waking up to the blunt truth that knowledge alone will not save me. It's going to take more commitment, responsibility, intuitive, maturity, and a strong will to break through."<BR/><BR/>She's right about the knowledge part. But the second sentence is the opposite of what's needed. I'd suggest surrender. Of course, easier said than done.night skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06139619174022839133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-16566953255389669662007-08-31T17:11:00.000-07:002007-08-31T17:11:00.000-07:00As a intellectual simpleton who has nevertheless b...As a intellectual simpleton who has nevertheless been through this I have to point out that it doesn't have to be nearly this involved, but I guess we have our individual karmic baggage although the way we handle it makes a difference.<BR/><BR/>So I guess my words will probably be less than helpful, but I think the best I can offer is to point out that it's simply a matter of perspective. I know I don't matter. But I don't operate based on that motivation anymore, which is a clear difference from what I can see. Now the interesting thing is as a simpleton I am not as high functioning as my intellectually superior counterparts, yet when it comes to this process it is no longer an issue which may make me more functional even if it's not in such an intellectually stimulating way. So clearly the baggage is the hinderance, but you don't need to hear that from someone like me I'm sure. As dull as I am I do know responsibility doesn't lie in some imagined identity, though - and maybe recognition of that allows us to get on with it.<BR/><BR/>Look, this may not sound nice but it's the bottom line: On 'this side' there is no interest in 'helping you' to do or be whatever it is you think ... whatever you've thought up. I never gave this much thought to my process, I just let it burn through me. You can either resist kicking and screaming in an articulate way, perhaps with a good dose of rationalization and/or avoidance or you can let it happen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-2510418740140547702007-08-29T13:08:00.000-07:002007-08-29T13:08:00.000-07:00I don't usually post here but I have to add my 2 c...I don't usually post here but I have to add my 2 cents about the vitamin B12 solution that a few people have mentioned. For the past year I have taken various supplements and they have helped my mental state enormously. I take 750 mg of omega 3 fish oil, a B multivitamin tablet, coenzyme Q10, a general multivitimin with selenium and zinc, Pycnogenol, alpha lipoic acid and Acetyl-l-carnitine. I literally feel 10 years younger and am sometimes bursting with energy in a manner I have not felt since I was a teenager 30 years ago. A very interesting side effect is that I have not gotten a cold in about a year, whereas before I would catch a cold every couple of months. Hope this helps, good luck Otis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-66805823698900566782007-08-29T11:19:00.000-07:002007-08-29T11:19:00.000-07:00I am currently undergoing such a time as previousl...I am currently undergoing such a time as previously described. I am tired- physically, emotionally, psychologically. I have lost interest in my daily spiritual routine & am in a constant state of dizziness (if i could put a name to it). I have found a key to gaining some type of motivation in these dark times- do it. Do it because you're worth it. Do it because you have more to live for. Do it because you feel like you can't. It is a conscious decision. It was one of the hardest. Someone commented earlier that it started for them with flossing. yes! i decided to put my tennis shoes on. the next day i put them on and went on a walk. somedays you won't keep up, somedays you will. In these dark valleys you cannot look down upon yourself for not accomplishing certain things. Acknowledging the situation, the issues, your emotions, that is a step in the right direction! You have already taken a step toward recovery and healing. Keep all of your positive steps written down. I have written down things I have gained from my experience in this desert & no longer dwell on what has been lost. I remind myself that I am not who I was, a joyful reminder that God is moving me through this desert.<BR/>I don't know if any of this helps, but please know you were never alone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-7587510582122383282007-08-29T09:11:00.000-07:002007-08-29T09:11:00.000-07:00Spiraling down that rabbit hole of despair finds m...Spiraling down that rabbit hole of despair finds me holding on and remembering that I will not be forever in this state, that things always change. Usually what chop wood and carry wateris the best advice and always I remember "not my will but thine be done." When I am still and breathing sometimes the tears come identifying and moving the energy. Thank you Otis for so bravely reaching out. Blessings on you allGeckohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11150958111957262924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-46934114262362905802007-08-29T09:01:00.000-07:002007-08-29T09:01:00.000-07:00When battle is raging in the darkest of night thes...When battle is raging in the darkest of night these are the things that have truly helped:<BR/>Ruiz's 4 agreements, Byron Katie's 4 questions and turn around, B vitamins (triple dose recommended on bottle), increase protein intake, decrease processed carbohydrate intake, increase water intake, light incense and offer it as a blessing to the besieging forces, putting water on the body (shower or swim), easy walking cruising for 20 to 30 minutes consciously putting focused attention on objects outside the body. 23rd psalms as a mantra (especially the part about the SHADOW of death). But when in the midst of battle it is difficult to remember these things.taterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04766992344429078871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-4872365103701869512007-08-29T08:02:00.000-07:002007-08-29T08:02:00.000-07:00A Clinton-Obama ticket has the endorsement of Cast...A Clinton-Obama ticket has the endorsement of Castro. Thanks, Fidel!NoMohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01100042056270224683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-44751675349896471542007-08-29T07:06:00.000-07:002007-08-29T07:06:00.000-07:00Well, that was a lot of dark night in one day.I mu...Well, that was a lot of dark night in one day.<BR/><BR/>I must pass this one. I watched "300" last night and it would definitely color my writing, especially after seeing this small band of raccoons facing a million mind parasites. Sorry.Magnus Itlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18445902788427523461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-87351349943360355272007-08-29T06:06:00.000-07:002007-08-29T06:06:00.000-07:00Once again, a fool for luck and blessedness:having...Once again, a fool for luck and blessedness:<BR/>having had a wise teacher explain the Purgative Way, which ya'll have described to a T<BR/>the hill, plateau and valley cycle of spiritual growth<BR/>and the Dark Night<BR/>early on my adult spiritual life.<BR/><BR/>Understanding what's happening can be cold comfort at the time you're doing the actual suffering, but gives you the incentive to hang on 'til it's over.<BR/><BR/>What Dilys said. Especially The Work. It's like spraying for the mind parasites.<BR/><BR/>God bless. Praying for you - and everybody else- already.<BR/><BR/>What a gift this place is.Salhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13201226644704622876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-812768742138629392007-08-29T04:39:00.000-07:002007-08-29T04:39:00.000-07:00Afterthought -We "like" the idea of being spiritua...Afterthought -<BR/><BR/>We "like" the idea of being spiritual, and the whole concept of being re-born "intrigues" us, and draws us on.<BR/><BR/>But, we <I>really</I> want to experience it on our own terms. We still hope to be "me" when it happens.<BR/><BR/><I>"A man may be born, but in order to be born he must first die..."</I><BR/><BR/>We "don't like" the dying part.<BR/><BR/>Ximeze <I>did</I> put it beautifully, describing it as "some kind of necessary clean-sweep on the way to Unknowing, where all the stuff gets moved out..."<BR/><BR/>Life ain't the movies. "Dying to the world" ain't all that romantic.walthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388218390016612051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-35929049913692511192007-08-29T04:20:00.000-07:002007-08-29T04:20:00.000-07:00The coaching strategy is typically--damage control...The coaching strategy is typically<BR/><BR/>--damage control while waiting for things to untangle (nutrition, medical evaluation, exercise, rest, gentleness to self and others); <BR/><BR/>and <BR/><BR/>--enriching the process:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.innerlightproductions.com/thoughts/july1600.htm" REL="nofollow">Cultivate</A> one from column a, renounce one from column B... (^.^*).<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2042:10%20;&version=31;" REL="nofollow">Job</A> was restored when he prayed for his friends (= irritants & enemies).<BR/><BR/>Resort to John of the Cross' <EM>Dark Night of the Soul</EM>, technically-advanced mysticism for contemplatives, may be less helpful and relevant than monastic <A HREF="http://www.thenazareneway.com/Institutes%20of%20John%20Cassian/book_10_the%20_spirit_of_accidie.htm" REL="nofollow">remedies for <EM>accidie</EM></A> ("spiritual weariness or distress of heart") -- which prescribe contentment (assisted by gratitude), and the work of one's own hands.<BR/><BR/>See, as well, <A HREF="http://frothfromwalt.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow">Walt's</A> citations of <A HREF="http://frothfromwalt.blogspot.com/2007/08/details-details.html" REL="nofollow">Markides on attention</A> and <A HREF="http://frothfromwalt.blogspot.com/2007/08/indifference-threshold.html" REL="nofollow">Colin Wilson's fool-proof discovery</A> of concentration, challenge, and <EM>flow</EM>.<BR/><BR/>Also, with no waiting in line or other delay, if Ms. Otis is so inclined, (s)he may submit the vivid poetry of regret and indictment with which we-the-highly-verbal explain, enchant, and enchain ourselves -- <BR/><EM>I'm a stove clicking, waiting on a match / Squandering of such gifts can only be seen as a slap in the face to God / I'[ve] become terrified of genuine knowledge</EM> -- <BR/>to <A HREF="http://www.thework.com/thework.asp" REL="nofollow">The Work of Byron Katie</A>, the most reliable way I know to extend the horizon and extract the gold/platinum/uranium/aluminum/iron[y] or other useful mettle from the ether-ore.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-72952159040671078902007-08-29T00:48:00.000-07:002007-08-29T00:48:00.000-07:00James said... This place is magic. Aye! That it is...James said... <BR/>This place is magic. <BR/><BR/>Aye! That it is, James!USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-24552178136061384712007-08-29T00:44:00.000-07:002007-08-29T00:44:00.000-07:00Mrs. G said:"One other thing I've found very helpf...Mrs. G said:<BR/>"One other thing I've found very helpful is when I'm feeling at a real low point and very desperate, I throw myself at The Mother's feet, basically and beg for help. It helps to feel very desperate, in my experience, because I know that I don't have the answers or the power to help myself, so it feels completely honest to ask for help in this way."<BR/><BR/>So much profoundery, and so little time.<BR/>I have a new (gnew?) appreciation for kittens, Mrs. G!<BR/>For I am one. Well, maybe a tiger kitten. They look pretty cool. :^)USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-34680943496243342002007-08-29T00:38:00.000-07:002007-08-29T00:38:00.000-07:00Lisa said:"But I always have to remember that Life...Lisa said:<BR/>"But I always have to remember that Life is not fair and everyone has problems. It's how you deal with them that defines who you are."<BR/><BR/>True Wisdom, Lisa!USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-91895633248115381812007-08-29T00:35:00.000-07:002007-08-29T00:35:00.000-07:00Mizz E said:"One of mine said: 'You're perfect jus...Mizz E said:<BR/>"One of mine said: 'You're perfect just the way you are, barnacles and all.'"<BR/><BR/>You certainly are, Mizz E! <BR/>One of the hardest things to do is to see ourselves as God sees us, and to forgive ourself. <BR/>No good comes out of draggin' regrets, guilt and shame around that belongs to a crucified "old man".USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-37265728534141527872007-08-29T00:27:00.000-07:002007-08-29T00:27:00.000-07:00Ximeze said:"I've come to the conclusion that thes...Ximeze said:<BR/>"I've come to the conclusion that these phases are some kind of necessary clean-sweep on the way to Unknowing, where all the stuff gets moved out, the surfaces get scubbed & a new color goes on, before selected pieces go back in a new arrangement. With the new set-up, ya-Gno-what-ya-Gno & don't need or want all the crap that filled it before."<BR/><BR/>So beautifully said, Ximeze!USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-32093965578514442622007-08-29T00:24:00.000-07:002007-08-29T00:24:00.000-07:00"Not only are you not tragically unique, you're ac..."Not only are you not tragically unique, you're actually in some pretty darn good company. <BR/>And that ain't so bad.<BR/><BR/>Love y'all.<BR/><BR/>JWM"<BR/><BR/>I second that, John! <BR/>What a blessing One Cosmos has become! From Bob to every believer that comments.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-76640744912718629822007-08-29T00:20:00.000-07:002007-08-29T00:20:00.000-07:00Smoov said:"In June I was walking in a Boston park...Smoov said:<BR/>"In June I was walking in a Boston park and had an epiphany--the natural landscape, the sunshine, the birds, bees, smells--everything was just so quintessentially right and beautiful that in that moment I realized that just that one single experience of the Divine--that few seconds--makes the entirety of my life worthwhile."<BR/><BR/>That was most profound to me, Smoov.<BR/>What you say reminds me of the following Psalm: <BR/><BR/>Psalm 63<BR/>1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; <BR/><BR/>2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. <BR/><BR/>3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. <BR/><BR/>4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. <BR/><BR/>5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: <BR/><BR/>6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. <BR/><BR/>7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. <BR/><BR/>8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-72996657876129609442007-08-28T22:20:00.000-07:002007-08-28T22:20:00.000-07:00It helps to repeat the words "Tau Mu" about ten or...It helps to repeat the words "Tau Mu" about ten or so times a day as you go about your business or are reacting to events in your life.<BR/><BR/>Tau Mu means "the way of nothing." It's like saying: "If it wasn't this, it'd be something else, and it's all the same. It's all "Mu" (nothing).<BR/><BR/>In Otis's case its "I feel like sheet these days." O.K... Tau Mu. <BR/><BR/>Suffering? Tau Mu. Happiness? Tau Mu. Something in-between? Uh, OK, sure. Tau Mu.<BR/><BR/>What goes on outside doesn't matter. What goes on inside, you would think, matters. Nope. It doesn't. <BR/><BR/>Paradoxically, however, it ALL does matter to God. It just doesn't matter to you. That's the thing. It ain't yours.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-22155946642541062292007-08-28T22:18:00.000-07:002007-08-28T22:18:00.000-07:00I went through the bleak months and years when I t...I went through the bleak months and years when I transitioned from the fast life (roving around the Caribbean, copious cocaine and sex, high-stakes risky business deals, dangerous thrill-seeking in various motorized boats, motorcycles, cars, etc.) which far from being glamorous (although superficially it may have appeared that way) eventually drove me to the point where I was--if not actually suicidial--certainly crushed, drained, defiled and in daily blunt pain.<BR/><BR/>I still have many, many days where spiritual happiness seems elusive. Often it seems like I'm lost down below somewhere while the raccoons and other spiritual travellers are up beyond, right over the next ridge that I can never quite find...<BR/><BR/>However it doesn't take much to pull me back from despair. My aunt once told me that even when God's door is shut before us, it opens again with the merest light touch and that glorious golden light comes through once more. I believe that touch for me is in the form of <I>gratitude</I>. Gratitude for living a prosperous and healthy life when I should probably be dead by now, gratitude for having God in my life now, and above all gratitude for my simple existence.<BR/><BR/>In June I was walking in a Boston park and had an epiphany--the natural landscape, the sunshine, the birds, bees, smells--everything was just so quintessentially <I>right and beautiful</I> that in that moment I realized that just that one single experience of the Divine--that few seconds--makes the entirety of my life worthwhile.Stephen Macdonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13474300559219020772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-83268024954623426132007-08-28T22:07:00.000-07:002007-08-28T22:07:00.000-07:00I think Mrs. Godwin had a good responese with the ...I think Mrs. Godwin had a good responese with the baby kitten versus the baby monkey approach. One must relax when in the mouth of God. Let the bad times take you, release, relax, focus on clean air and water, good food, and eight hours of sleep, plus moderate excercise. Never let the physical being become obtunded if you can help it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-60468985311033732762007-08-28T22:03:00.000-07:002007-08-28T22:03:00.000-07:00Endure. Tha's all it is.Endure. Tha's all it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-52997366254224807962007-08-28T20:56:00.000-07:002007-08-28T20:56:00.000-07:00Another note:Thank you Bob, and double thanks to y...Another note:<BR/>Thank you Bob, and double thanks to you, anonymous Otis for kicking off this topic. And thank you to all my fellow Raccoons for opening up and sharing this stuff.<BR/>The narcissist in me always wants to feel like I am just so tragically damn unique- that no one in the history of the universe could possibly be so...<BR/><BR/>Sorry JWM.<BR/><BR/> Not only are you not tragically unique, you're actually in some pretty darn good company. <BR/>And that ain't so bad.<BR/><BR/>Love y'all.<BR/><BR/>JWMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-22722654895226589372007-08-28T20:02:00.000-07:002007-08-28T20:02:00.000-07:00Ditto Julie on B vitamins. B12 with Folic Acid hel...Ditto Julie on B vitamins. B12 with Folic Acid helps quiet 'the chorus', as Julie's beasties are called in my family.<BR/><BR/>My recent Dark Night came with endless droning on their part & a clenched stomach with nausea that made it impossible to eat. Not good. So Otis, if you can, keep an eye on meeting your body's nutritional & fuel needs, even if you have to choke stuff down, as I did. <BR/><BR/>Also featured was a sudden complete shutdown of interest in anything, an inability to bear things I'd always loved: not now, go away, stop it, shut up, leave me alone. Only the cats & Beaky did not make me more nuts, as tho any kind of human input via the 5 senses was too much. Just wanted to cocoon on the couch or found myself repeatedly wandering aimlessly from room to room.<BR/><BR/>Forget doing useful/positive anything. Frankly my dear, I didn't give a crap; besides, it was pointless. Only when the neighbor's pounding music drove me outside & away from the house for long walks did I find a bit of relief. Spent hours in a park, sitting under an oak tree, watching the river flow by, not doing anything 'useful' or 'productive'. That really helped.<BR/><BR/>Looking back, I'd spent decades stuffing more stuff into my head, cramming more & more in, filling it to bursting - which it finally did! Like an overworked muscle, one day it quit working & swelled up with fluid, so it could not be worked any more. A forced rest, if you will.<BR/><BR/>My walks took me past a storefront where 12step meetings were taking place & many of the cars had stickers adorning them. Some of the sayings struck a chord & gave me something to ponder while sitting under the oak.<BR/><BR/>Musing here, on how AA bumper sticker slogans apply to getting thru dark periods, since substance abuse results in similar conditions & is, at heart, a spiritual problem. Other comments today are littered with them.<BR/><BR/>Let go & let God<BR/>One day at a time<BR/>First thing first<BR/>Easy does it<BR/>But for the Grace of God<BR/>Keep it simple<BR/>Bring the body and the mind will follow<BR/>If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere<BR/>Look after the little things<BR/>I came -I came to - I came to believe<BR/>Change is a process, not an event<BR/>Take what you can use and leave the rest<BR/>If I serve, I will be served<BR/>We give it away to keep it<BR/>Trust god.........clean house........help others <BR/>It's a pity we can't forget our troubles the same way we forget our blessings<BR/>Religion is for those who fear god.........spirituality is for those who have been to hell and back<BR/><BR/>My version of '90 meeting in 90 days' was to go out for those walks & make time for that oak. What do you do when all the old things don't work anymore? What do you do with your hands when you quit smoking? Trying to come up with something on the plus-side was difficult at first, so I did gut-checks to tag the non-starters. By a process of elimination I was able to identify what was left standing. That was a start.<BR/><BR/>I've come to the conclusion that these phases are some kind of necessary clean-sweep on the way to Unknowing, where all the stuff gets moved out, the surfaces get scubbed & a new color goes on, before selected pieces go back in a new arrangement. With the new set-up, ya-Gno-what-ya-Gno & don't need or want all the crap that filled it before.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-14838104983957584542007-08-28T19:49:00.000-07:002007-08-28T19:49:00.000-07:00OK, JVM has lit [or is it lighted] my fire. Anywa...OK, JVM has lit [or is it lighted] my fire. Anyway, he <I>didied</I> it.<BR/><BR/>The reason I don't watch TV or even read much news anymore is because I'm sick and tired of my own auto-judge soundtrack that gets plugged in and repeats and repeats: "stupid, idiots, fucked up, assholes, jerks, dorks". Tuning out and tuning in to Reality and Truth and Beauty and Goodness which is <I>everywhere</I> is such a huge turn-on as is being a <A HREF="http://www.stephenministries.org/stephenministry/default.cfm/928" REL="nofollow">Stephen Minister</A>. It suits my introverted nature. No leading seminars or Sunday School classes for me. Give me <I>uno en uno.</I> It's so easy to care when you have faith in He Who Cures.<BR/><BR/>wv agrees: ykatvMizz Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02325435271880036807noreply@blogger.com