Reflections

Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment.

  1. Carla
    Carla
    3 weeks ago

    There are many area of my life that I do surrender and Trust the Divine on a daily basis for protection, guidance, and care. My work place, has a bullying, and I must keep my guard up. I’ve placed protective stones, and other Angel guardians around my cubical. I keep a positive attitude and my side of the street clean. Communication with 2 supervisors regarding the toxicity falls on deaf ears. I maintain caution for self preservation, and to guard my physical and spiritual health. Their retirement is not on the horizon.

    1. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 weeks ago

      Carla, are you familiar with the site AskAManager.org? They have a lot of great advice from a professional management coach and topics like bullying and toxic workplace culture come up. You might check it out. I’ve learned a lot from reading it.

      1. Carla
        Carla
        3 weeks ago

        I’ve not heard of this, thank you. I’ll check it out. 🌻

  2. Mary
    Mary
    3 weeks ago

    Hmmm. Building my capacity to trust the unknown. Well that would mean that I would have to stop worrying. That would be nice. I do worry about things, and that is not fun. 😐
    But trust the unknown? That is hard for me to do. Sometimes I worry, but don’t address legitimate concerns. I could do better on that.
    I’m trying to figure out if I am more or less trusting of life as time goes by. Whatever, right?
    The question is not how to trust more, which is what I am getting tripped up on. The question is which aspect of my life would benefit from trusting more. That’s easy enough. All aspects of my life would benefit if I became more trusting of the unknown. I would be happier, more relaxed, and probably have less fatigue and better health. Trusting more would be very helpful. This is something for me to reflect on. Thank you for this question. ☀️♥️

  3. Charlie T
    Charlie T
    3 weeks ago

    I’ve always been hyper aware of my surroundings.
    It’s not always a good thing. On the plus side, I notice little things that most people miss. Which is great for spotting wildlife or noticing possible danger.
    On the other side, this hyper awareness has had a physical toll. It hasn’t been good for my nervous system and cardiovascular system, to always be primed. I think I know where this comes from, and that is helpful, but learning to trust has been a more recent project. I’m sure my whole being, physical, spiritual, and psychological, benefit from being more trusting. So, I take a deep breath and tell myself, that right now, I am okay, I am safe, and I have everything that I need. And today my only goal is to be kind.
    This seems to take some pressure off.

    1. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      3 weeks ago

      Thanks Charlie. I try to always frame complications and challenges as just that. Not problems. For if I examine them and there is no control or I can exert some energy later to alleviate said complication, and realize that right now I have no problem, I am here in my own two shoes, healthy, housed and fed, much suffering is alleviated.

    2. Mary
      Mary
      3 weeks ago

      “And today my only goal is to be kind.” Love this!

    3. L
      Loc Tran
      3 weeks ago

      Charlie, your answer resignates with me. It’s like we have 2 MJs here. We better learn to trust and pass the ball to each other.

  4. Barb C
    Barb C
    3 weeks ago

    For those who remember Kevin, who used to post here regularly and occasionally gritched a bit, I’m channeling Kevin–we’ve had 3 questions in 4 days about the unknown or uncertainty. That’s a bit much. I’d rather have the themes change more day to day, then come back around again in a wider spiral. Others may appreciate the reinforcement and holding a concept up to look at it from multiple angles.

    Coming back to add after reading people’s responses–I’d still like to have the themes mixed up a bit more, but I have great appreciation for the perspectives and thoughts expressed here. Maybe I was holding too much vigilance around patterns in the questions!

    Because I’ll be traveling to a major city this coming week, I’m going to maintain my ordinary level of vigilance for travel. That is to say, I pay attention to my surroundings, I make eye contact with people, I won’t walk around staring down at my phone. I’m also going to be open to the experiences and the people unfolding all around me and look for the good.

    1. Michele
      Michele
      3 weeks ago

      I googled his name months ago and saw he was active on FB (I do not have one) I actually was looking for an obit bc I found it odd how he was on here for many many years and then just nada… he is missed.

    2. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      3 weeks ago

      Snip, tuck, stitch and go. Love that saying Kevin relayed to us from an elder Quaker woman. to him.

    3. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      I tend to agree with you,
      dear Barb,
      and Kevin if he were here
      (yes,
      I miss him too),
      and will bide my time
      until a Question speaks to me. ♥

    4. Carla
      Carla
      3 weeks ago

      I too miss Kevin. Was a sage in our midst. Safe travels-yes be aware of surroundings and have fun too(!)

    5. L
      Loc Tran
      3 weeks ago

      Barb, I’m totally with you. I don’t like repetition myself. I love to keep the ball rolling.

  5. Ngoc Nguyen
    Ngoc Nguyen
    3 weeks ago

    My life would benefit from releasing vigilance regarding the people I encounter. I always look forward to seeing people who treat me kindly, but not everyone treats me this kindly. Instead of being disappointed by unexpected experiences, I redirect my mind to be grateful for all the nice people I meet. Kind people bring warmth, and unexpected negative experiences with others bring meaningful reflections. Happy weekend to everyone!

    1. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      3 weeks ago

      ❤️☀️🌞 A happy Saturday and Sunday to you too, Ngoc.

    2. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      A happy weekend to you as well,
      dear Ngoc . . .
      I’ve been thinking about your tiny succulents.
      How are they doing? ♥

    3. L
      Loc Tran
      3 weeks ago

      My Ngoc, it’s easy to overlook those who are kind to us. Human psychology has a way of gravitating us to the negative. It’s why we shouldn’t set operations in the natural world.

  6. Carol Ann Conner
    Carol Ann Conner
    3 weeks ago

    Life is trustworthy but when we are being overly vigilant, we miss the moment. In Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke) the word, “prayer” means “be open.” In my experience, when I began to trust life. I began to trust myself. As Joseph often reminds us: “stop naming, stop labeling.” and that includes oneself. I think that ‘building the capacity to trust the unknown” is a life long project that must be lived one day at a time. I read Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s poem of the day this morning and she describes waiting in an airport lounge for a delayed plane. She labels no one and her openess brings them together.

    Among Strangers
    I sat for hours in concourse A,
    the plane delayed, delayed again,
    surrounded by a young mother
    with three hungry children and two
    elderly couples who played endless
    rounds of go fish and men in dark suits
    on their cell phones and girls filming
    dances for TikTok, when I looked up
    and saw out the window a double rainbow,
    ridiculously pretty against the slate sky,
    and not wanting to be alone in my joy,
    I touched the arm of the boy beside me
    and he leaped up and ran to the window,
    and all of us stopped to point or smile
    or make jokes about pots of gold.
    We will never see each other again,
    but for a moment, we stood together
    at the edge of delight, and the rainbows,
    they just kept getting brighter, and I thought
    it couldn’t possibly get any more lovely.
    And the boy smiled at me. And then it did.
    —Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

    1. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      3 weeks ago

      Simply grand.

    2. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      I also receive Rosemerry’s daily poems . . .
      she has been a favorite of mine,
      dear Carol Ann,
      ever since either you or Barb
      ‘introduced’ me to her.
      Today’s poem
      brought me a smile,
      having experienced something similar
      before.
      Thank you for putting it up here
      for all to see.

    3. Patti
      sunnypatti
      3 weeks ago

      I get her daily poems, but I didn’t read this morning as I slept in and wanted to make a morning yoga class. This one is quite lovely! I am going to have to write it down to read for some of my classes ❤️

    4. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 weeks ago

      I love that more than one of us here is a Rosemerry fan. This one is beautiful.

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        3 weeks ago

      2. Y
        Yram
        3 weeks ago

        I read her poetry daily. What down to earth messages and experiences.

  7. Kathy29496
    Katrina
    3 weeks ago

    I don’t think anyone would describe me as being vigilant. But I’m not NOT vigilant. And I also don’t think of myself as “trusting” the unknown as much as just living into it – it is inevitable. Sometimes I get rather frustrated when what I have planned doesn’t work out. But I think I’m pretty adaptable most times. I think…I’m a processor – I just need time to process, look for the positive, be grateful, etc. Give me that and I’m good.

    1. D
      Deann
      3 weeks ago

      “Living into it”- I like that

  8. L
    Loc Tran
    3 weeks ago

    Christ came to save the world by replacing Adam. Letting go of vigilence to trust the unknown allows me to just let him into my heart. Strengthening my relationship with the Lord is strengthening my relationship with my root people. After all, he knows just who to put into our lives who are best for us throughout our journey. Building upon what I said yesterday concerning my preference for staying at home over traveling, I’d still travel with my family.
    People go on vacation for exploration. I see that as an extra. As long as I have my family, good food, AC, and a place to stay, I’m good to go.

  9. D
    Drea
    3 weeks ago

    In the midst of a career change, I’m doing a lot of little experiments. Can I get this group together? Will that person respond to my offer to help? Does this idea have legs?

    A lot of the time, the little experiment reveals something useful, but its original goal dissolves. Another way of saying that is that my experiments create a lot of failures. Each failure comes with a whoosh of disappointment, but the truth is, experiments by their nature leave a trail of failures. I can release vigilance around the experiments not working–it’s part of the process. And trust that the process itself is the path.

    1. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      3 weeks ago

      I am conducting an experiment currently. Some summer squash I planted germinated, grew a bit and then burned down. So, I planted some of the same seed in a pot of soil that was deposited as silt from the drainage of the river through our irrigation ditch. Clayish with some sand. I mixed it with a small amount of sheep manure and peat compost. My experiment is to determine if squash enjoy less rich soil that I have in that spot of my garden bed. The ones in the pot of silt seem to be thriving. I will let you know how they do in 40 more days, Drea.

      1. D
        Drea
        3 weeks ago

        Joseph, yes, please keep us updated! I was under the impression that squash thrived in a lot of soils, maybe because they grow so aggressively (I think of Little Shop of Horrors with the zucchini, when I leave and come back and it’s huge). Very curious about your experiment!

    2. Patti
      sunnypatti
      3 weeks ago

      “The process itself is the path”
      I feel that 🙏🏼

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        3 weeks ago

        Yes,
        dear SunnyPatti,
        or said another way
        in the Parable of Mushin,
        “the journey is the goal.” ♥

    3. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 weeks ago

      We make the path by walking it, yes.

      If you’re getting a group together, I want to recommend The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker. It makes organizing a gathering of any size–even lunch with a friend–a much more thoughtful process than I’d ever considered, even after years of organizing both large and small events. Not that some things won’t fail to deliver as hoped, but it may give you some food for thought.

      1. D
        Drea
        3 weeks ago

        Thank you Barb, I’ll get it from the library.

    4. Carol Ann Conner
      Carol Ann Conner
      3 weeks ago

      Amen

    5. Kathy29496
      Katrina
      3 weeks ago

      And through experimentation and even failures, something is always learned.

      1. D
        Drea
        3 weeks ago

        Yes, something always comes up to learn and adapt. That’s the beauty of it.

      2. L
        Loc Tran
        3 weeks ago

        Katrina, the biggest thing I learned about the Japanese trip is that even their alphabet system is different from ours too. Accessability helps no matter the condition. Every second preserved makes a bigger difference than we realize.

  10. L
    Louise
    3 weeks ago

    I don’t consider myself a very “vigilant” person, but I am being vigilant right now about my nursing licensing exam on September 30. I probably should trust that I will pass based on my own basic knowledge and skill level which has improved over the past six years. I believe that I am competent for a new grad. Until then, I will study a little bit every day and also make time for adventures, I’m not going crazy studying or anything at this time.

    1. D
      Drea
      3 weeks ago

      It seems like you’re thinking about this exam early, and that’s a good sign. I don’t know about your nursing test, but I find tests so weirdly specific–like you need to know what they want from you. The one time I monumentally failed a test, it was because I hadn’t known what to expect and hadn’t practiced the right things, even though I knew how to do the trade at hand very well. Any case, good luck with your prep, and it seems like you have a healthy attitude!

      1. L
        Louise
        3 weeks ago

        You’re right, the questions are either select all that apply or multiple choice and I think that actually understanding the wording of the questions is more important than skill/knowledge! So I am practicing a LOT of mock quizzes.

  11. Christina Rossi75270
    Christina
    3 weeks ago

    I’ve tried to learn on this: reflecting after a tense episode that it worked out okay, as it almost always does. Trying now to repeat this to myself within a tense episode. Repeating what I am grateful for also works! It’s a beautiful temperate weekend in the northeast!

    1. D
      Drea
      3 weeks ago

      Enjoy your weekend, Christina!

    2. L
      Louise
      3 weeks ago

      Yes, it is really nice weather here too, in southern Ontario!

  12. Michele
    Michele
    3 weeks ago

    This question required a few re-reads… I find it difficult to ‘trust the unknown’ regarding our government.
    One day at a time. Focus on breath. Stay present. Loving Kindness. Humor of course:)

    Enjoy the weekend everyone 🙂

    https://nationaltoday.com/national-wine-and-cheese-day/

    1. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      3 weeks ago

      We survived Nixon. We will survive the current, dare I say, those that appear as evil clowns, Michele.

    2. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      I’m afraid,
      dear Michele,
      that right now
      I absolutely do not trust those in power in our government.
      I am trying very hard to bide my time,
      bless those wounded souls,
      do what I can,
      and trust the Universe
      that the outcome will be for the good. ♥

    3. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 weeks ago

      The latest hit for my world is that they’re purging everything related to bike lanes from official federal websites–including proven research around how they improve safety for everyone, including people driving–and removing bike infrastructure from eligibility for federal funding. I have zero basis for trust and every reason to maintain vigilance. (https://www.npr.org/2026/07/23/nx-s1-5900901/bike-lanes-dot-websites)

      I’ll celebrate that national day tonight at my sister-in-law’s house, though!

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        3 weeks ago

        Yes another infringement
        on what has worked
        and been good for all of us,
        dear Barb . . .
        stay strong. ♥

    4. L
      Loc Tran
      3 weeks ago

      Michele, I love how you’re able to put things in simple terms. Humanity has a way of making things more complicated than they need to be.

    5. D
      Drea
      3 weeks ago

      I’m going to trust the millions of people in the US whose hearts and souls are in the right place. Who have a moral compass and who believe in and act in the interest of human rights. They are who deserve my time and energy.

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        3 weeks ago

        Amen. ♥

      2. Barb C
        Barb C
        3 weeks ago

        Thank you for this, Drea. You’re right.

  13. Joseph
    Joseph McCann
    3 weeks ago

    I just fed the barn cats and was gazing at the Milky Way. Fortunate to live in a locale where there is little to no human produced light to interfere. Dark Skies; I believe is the phrase. The concept of vigilance is hard wired into beings. Asses, stay, fight or flee. Trusting the unknown is also wired in, I believe, but maybe not for all. Think of all the inventions, discoveries, foods, conveniences. Curiosity killed the cat; satisfaction brought him back. I feel vigilance and trust in the unknown are light and dark of a mental state. Can not have one fully, without the other fully. Much good can come from trust of the unknown and much good can come from vigilance. Just as the opposite outcome is also possible. Balance. The proper measurement. Just like a good cook. A dash of this a pinch of that.
    Peace, Love & Light.

    1. Mary
      Mary
      3 weeks ago

      “Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought him back.”
      Love that, Joseph!
      Satisfaction brought him back, eight lives to go.
      Stay curious, friends!

    2. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      3 weeks ago

      Thank you,
      dear Joseph,
      for reminding me of the Dark Skies . . .
      t too,
      have seen them.
      Just thinking about them
      returns me to a place of Peace. ♥

    3. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 weeks ago

      Yes! At times it would be foolish to relax one’s vigilance, at other times being open and trusting is the best possible approach.

      I grew up in the country outside Lewiston, Idaho, surrounded by farmlands. I remember lying on my back in the yard looking at a sky full of stars, so big, so bright, some of them seemingly close. I don’t get out into places away from light pollution as often as I could, and this is a reminder to seek that experience of a truly dark sky.

      I do very much appreciate that I’m living in a small enough town (around 50,000 people) in a neighborhood near a very large park, meaning no streetlights that direction. I’m able to look out my window at night before going to bed, or go outside, and see stars in the sky.

    4. D
      Drea
      3 weeks ago

      Good point on balance, Joseph. I like your perspective.

    5. Josie
      Josie
      3 weeks ago

      Thoughtfully balanced, Joseph. Great way to start my day. Thank you.

  14. D
    Deann
    3 weeks ago

    I have a lot of unknowns right now. I can choose to let fear and stress be at the forefront or I can choose faith and trust that everything is unraveling into something better.

    I have moments of both but both my heart and gut seem to override my uncertain thoughts.

    I understand the question but I think for me I need that vigilance, I just need to focus it on trusting the unknown.

  15. J
    John Richard
    3 weeks ago

    I think many of us spend so much time trying to control every outcome that we forget growth often happens in uncertainty. Releasing constant vigilance doesn’t mean giving up—it means trusting that not everything needs to be predicted or managed. Sometimes the greatest opportunities appear when we allow ourselves to embrace the unknown with patience and confidence. Check This URL: https://cinehd4u.app/

    1. L
      Louise
      3 weeks ago

      So spammy/scammy, I clicked that link and it is to some sort of malware, I’m sure. Can you not?

      1. Patti
        sunnypatti
        3 weeks ago

        Any link that you can’t really tell what it is by reading it or that ends in “app” is pretty much always scam/spam stuff. I’m glad Drea reported it.
        Michele’s national day links, however, are safe 🙂

      2. D
        Drea
        3 weeks ago

        I reported this. It happens once in a while, unfortunately. We can email the team here and they remove it when they can.

Subscribe to Grateful Living

Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Customize your subscription