“Prayer is sitting in silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful.” Richard Rohr
This quote from R. Rohr is key to how I do my best to hold hope and sorrow equally. It’s the most profound example of willingness I have found.
Although I know
that hope and sorrow are kindred souls
it is and always has been
hard for me to hold hope
when sorrow overtakes me . . .
it takes time for the pain of it to settle and become less acute
before hope can get a fingerhold in the door.
I know all of the tricks and the self-talk,
but am often unable to use them
and put them into practice,
as my monkey mind
tends to speak up . . .
“been there,
done that–
it won’t work.”
And already weakened from grief,
I succumb.
I’ve been known
to even push hope away,
because it can be as painful as the sorrow.
(I’m talking about big stuff here,
not just my car breaking down on the eve of an appointment.)
I was reading something today
about the importance of meditation on our death
every day of our lives . . .
from a samurai turned Zen priest,
Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
The key of course,
is presence.
This practice enriches our Life.
If I can practice sitting with my death
I can also practice with sorrow.
When I do this
I am present in the moment
and begin to understand the illusory nature
of thoughts, viewpoints, and emotions.
I am not my sorrow . . .
neither am I my hope.
Doing this
can help me find my place on the Path again
and bring peace
to a troubled heart.
I am more than grateful
for the signposts I find
along the way. ♥
This is the tightrope that we walk.
For me, falling into despair and hopelessness, is easy. So my task has been to nourish my hopeful side. To add balance. Welcoming all of it. Not shrinking and hiding from the rough stuff. So far, it hasn’t destroyed me. I’m still here. Reminding myself that all of this is temporary. Even the granite mountains are on the move. The tide comes in, and the tide goes out. Things are not as solid as we like to tell ourselves. This knowledge can be unsettling. A kind of free floating anxiety. But if embraced, can help me feel more settled. It’s the difference between going with it, or fighting against it.
As Carol Ann likes to say “my job is willingness”.
I would add that, surrendering, is also important.
I hope you all are having a joyful and peaceful weekend.
Charlie, “Prayer is sitting in silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful.” Richard Rohr
I’m late getting here today. Wanted to be sure you saw this quote. I think it speaks to the way to become willing to surrender.
Interesting question to ponder. Perhaps my emotions still swing in a pendulum modality. I think of attending a Celebration of Life or funeral. I can be hopeful of who I might see there, and yet I feel the sorrow of me missing the one who’s Passed on to the Light. For me, it’s holding these paradoxes, and how do I live with them/ hold them. New Week blessings to all. I raise concerns and prayers for the worldwide heat extremes, how it effects people, and landscape/fires. Peace to all ☮️
I don’t believe hope and sorrow should be held equally although both will occur in one’s life time. I will always hold hope but sorrow is something I need to find ways to process in a healthy way.
Robin, I’m totally with you there as someone who firmly believes in the old addage “You can’t have it both ways.” The 2 don’t play nicely together and sound like a controdiction. Paradoxes are necessary for protection but are also the last things we need in our lives. Survival methods are meant to be stop gaps.
I think of the big wildfires surrounding us. Sorrow for all that is destroyed. Hope in human strength and resilience, and care for the land. Hope in the ability to care for our water. Have a wonderful
Sunday, everyone.
I don’t feel like I have any sorrow to hold right now, but if I needed to practice holding both hope and sorrow, it would just be about acceptance. A simple allowing of life.
As for now, enjoy the easy stretches while it lasts. Learning to hold hope and sorrow equally will happen one day. As I said years ago, “Preparation is looking for suffering.” What I mean by that is preparation can easily lead to paranoia. It’s like Barb talking about fishing for trouble from what I vaguely remember. Life has a way of handing us challenges and teaching us coping skills through difficult times.
I just plan to focus on being present… no need for hope and sorrow.
Wishing everyone a peaceful relaxed Sunday. I’m sure there were those with late night fireworks and constant noise so wishing for peaceful quiet day/night.
I see this as a way
of holding both sorrow and hope together,
dear Deann . . .
they go hand in hand,
I hope that for you
they work together
and help you to heal
with love . . . ♥
Being present to the commingling that’s inherent to these forces. I will cultivate the joy and not expect to have a life absent of sorrow. Like the Yin Yang symbol the sweet is in the sour and vice versa.
In one hand is the collective goodness of humankind. In the other hand is the collective madness of humankind. In one is hope, the other sorrow. They can be held equally but their weight is certainly not equal. It takes more strength to hold the hand with the collective goodness of mankind (for it carries much more weight), level to the hand full of the collective madness.
Peace, Love & Light.
I don’t want to practice “holding” anything or harbouring anything in mind whatsoever.
There is no Truth in the human mind – only karma ( my life lived ), habits (inherited from my ancestors and my life lived) and this body . All of these are what we let go of and in doing so we “repent” our minds and BECOME Truth the original foundation or the origin. So there is nothing to keep or hold onto . Ha I g said this everything exists within my mind the universe is me and you and by letting go we become truth together. This is both humbling and grateful all at the same time . So of course we can see it all is equally beautiful. Thank you so much ☺️.
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“Prayer is sitting in silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful.” Richard Rohr
This quote from R. Rohr is key to how I do my best to hold hope and sorrow equally. It’s the most profound example of willingness I have found.
This is a basic and deep truth,
dear Carol Ann
and amazing in its simplicity . . .
thank you so much
for putting it up here. ♥
Although I know
that hope and sorrow are kindred souls
it is and always has been
hard for me to hold hope
when sorrow overtakes me . . .
it takes time for the pain of it to settle and become less acute
before hope can get a fingerhold in the door.
I know all of the tricks and the self-talk,
but am often unable to use them
and put them into practice,
as my monkey mind
tends to speak up . . .
“been there,
done that–
it won’t work.”
And already weakened from grief,
I succumb.
I’ve been known
to even push hope away,
because it can be as painful as the sorrow.
(I’m talking about big stuff here,
not just my car breaking down on the eve of an appointment.)
I was reading something today
about the importance of meditation on our death
every day of our lives . . .
from a samurai turned Zen priest,
Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
The key of course,
is presence.
This practice enriches our Life.
If I can practice sitting with my death
I can also practice with sorrow.
When I do this
I am present in the moment
and begin to understand the illusory nature
of thoughts, viewpoints, and emotions.
I am not my sorrow . . .
neither am I my hope.
Doing this
can help me find my place on the Path again
and bring peace
to a troubled heart.
I am more than grateful
for the signposts I find
along the way. ♥
“I am not my sorrow . . .
neither am I my hope.”
Wise reminder, dear Sparrow. Thank you
I must remind myself to stay in the present moment. Accept & surrender to what comes. Pray for guidance.
Flow……
🕊️❤️
This is the tightrope that we walk.
For me, falling into despair and hopelessness, is easy. So my task has been to nourish my hopeful side. To add balance. Welcoming all of it. Not shrinking and hiding from the rough stuff. So far, it hasn’t destroyed me. I’m still here. Reminding myself that all of this is temporary. Even the granite mountains are on the move. The tide comes in, and the tide goes out. Things are not as solid as we like to tell ourselves. This knowledge can be unsettling. A kind of free floating anxiety. But if embraced, can help me feel more settled. It’s the difference between going with it, or fighting against it.
As Carol Ann likes to say “my job is willingness”.
I would add that, surrendering, is also important.
I hope you all are having a joyful and peaceful weekend.
”The tide comes in, and the tide goes out. Things are not as solid as we like to tell ourselves.”
Thank you for sharing this profound truth,
dear Charlie . . .
balance in all things. ♥
Charlie, “Prayer is sitting in silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful.” Richard Rohr
I’m late getting here today. Wanted to be sure you saw this quote. I think it speaks to the way to become willing to surrender.
Thank you, Charlie. Same to you!
Interesting question to ponder. Perhaps my emotions still swing in a pendulum modality. I think of attending a Celebration of Life or funeral. I can be hopeful of who I might see there, and yet I feel the sorrow of me missing the one who’s Passed on to the Light. For me, it’s holding these paradoxes, and how do I live with them/ hold them. New Week blessings to all. I raise concerns and prayers for the worldwide heat extremes, how it effects people, and landscape/fires. Peace to all ☮️
I don’t believe hope and sorrow should be held equally although both will occur in one’s life time. I will always hold hope but sorrow is something I need to find ways to process in a healthy way.
Robin, I’m totally with you there as someone who firmly believes in the old addage “You can’t have it both ways.” The 2 don’t play nicely together and sound like a controdiction. Paradoxes are necessary for protection but are also the last things we need in our lives. Survival methods are meant to be stop gaps.
I think of the big wildfires surrounding us. Sorrow for all that is destroyed. Hope in human strength and resilience, and care for the land. Hope in the ability to care for our water. Have a wonderful
Sunday, everyone.
I think the misuse of water could start the next war.
I don’t feel like I have any sorrow to hold right now, but if I needed to practice holding both hope and sorrow, it would just be about acceptance. A simple allowing of life.
As for now, enjoy the easy stretches while it lasts. Learning to hold hope and sorrow equally will happen one day. As I said years ago, “Preparation is looking for suffering.” What I mean by that is preparation can easily lead to paranoia. It’s like Barb talking about fishing for trouble from what I vaguely remember. Life has a way of handing us challenges and teaching us coping skills through difficult times.
Hope or sorrow are not about the initial occurrence but how I perceive it. Happy Sunday to all☺
My Ngoc, nnice and simple. It all comes down to perception.
I just plan to focus on being present… no need for hope and sorrow.
Wishing everyone a peaceful relaxed Sunday. I’m sure there were those with late night fireworks and constant noise so wishing for peaceful quiet day/night.
I can grieve a relationship that is ending and hope that the new relationship wiill continue with peace, grace and a different form of love.
I see this as a way
of holding both sorrow and hope together,
dear Deann . . .
they go hand in hand,
I hope that for you
they work together
and help you to heal
with love . . . ♥
Thank you
DEANN , i feel you and understand grieving .These feelings run deep. Sending you peace and loving kindness. Hugs 🥰
Being present to the commingling that’s inherent to these forces. I will cultivate the joy and not expect to have a life absent of sorrow. Like the Yin Yang symbol the sweet is in the sour and vice versa.
In one hand is the collective goodness of humankind. In the other hand is the collective madness of humankind. In one is hope, the other sorrow. They can be held equally but their weight is certainly not equal. It takes more strength to hold the hand with the collective goodness of mankind (for it carries much more weight), level to the hand full of the collective madness.
Peace, Love & Light.
I think,
dear Joseph,
that we need to hold both
with love and tenderness,
for there is not one
without the other.
Namaste ♥
Hold both with love, tenderness and loving kindness. Yes, dear Sparrow. The divine in me bows to the divine in you.
I don’t want to practice “holding” anything or harbouring anything in mind whatsoever.
There is no Truth in the human mind – only karma ( my life lived ), habits (inherited from my ancestors and my life lived) and this body . All of these are what we let go of and in doing so we “repent” our minds and BECOME Truth the original foundation or the origin. So there is nothing to keep or hold onto . Ha I g said this everything exists within my mind the universe is me and you and by letting go we become truth together. This is both humbling and grateful all at the same time . So of course we can see it all is equally beautiful. Thank you so much ☺️.
Great answer, Antoinette. Holding on is stagnancy. Letting go brings flow. The former is the last thing we need.
😊🌱
Ah,
I get it now,
dear Antoinette . . .
the flow
(from yesterday).
Thank you,
dear Loc. 🙂