a posture of awe & wonder

Plato:

“Philosophy begins in wonder”


Abraham Joshua Heschel:

“The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding that life without wonder is not worth living.”  

“Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge.”  

“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. ....get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.”

“Wonder or radical amazement is the chief characteristic of the religious man's attitude toward history and nature.”  

Toronto Immersion

The past weekend was FANTASTIC.
I smiled and laughed so much more than I have in quite a while.
The four days we spent in Toronto for the TIFF felt so good.

I met many new people and learned more about those previously known as acquaintances.
A very passionate, smart, witty, creative group of young adults.

Highlights:

THE FOOD. (Basically, I spent more than I ever do on a month of groceries)
-  Auth. Indian dishes
- Spanish Tapas
- falafel
- french almond croissant and teas
- holy basil chicken w/ crispy mee krob lettuce wraps
- coconut curry squash soup

THE FILMS. (these are just the six that I experienced)
- How Strange to Be Named Federico: Scolo Narrates Fellini
- Burts Buzz
- The Square
- The Promise
- Oktober November
- Bad Words

THE PLACES.
We walked from morning 'till night. Thursday evening, we happened to come across a fantastic jazz orchestra in a little pub. Friday night we attempted to go up in the tower (failed).
We wandered, and wandered some more.
We watched the sky and the sights on top of our hostel at night and chatted about the films and themes floating through our minds.
A cute french man made my day with his compliments as I nibbled my delish croissant in the sun.
I felt fashionably inferior in the massive Eaton Center (and then purchased a grey H&M scarf to make myself feel more legit).
Saturday night we found ourselves watching killer improv at Second City. Loved it!

In connection with the series at Mars, we were prompted to keep this prayer fresh on our minds as we explored the city and engaged with the films:

Here I am.
Here you are.
Here we are together.

equals

 

"Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity."

 

-- Pema Chodron

 

 

 

Just something that I'm thinking about as I begin Counseling Practicum!

Disclosure

Brene Brown's Checklist for deciding whether or not something is appropriate to disclose through books, blogs, fb, ect:

 

 

Why am I sharing this?

What outcome am I hoping for?

What emotions am I experiencing?

Do my intentions align with my values?

Is there an outcome, response, or lack of response that will hurt my feelings?

Is this sharing in the service of connection?

Am I genuinely asking the people in my life for what I need?

 

 

 



Brown, B. (2012). Daring Greatly (pp. 162-163). New York, NY: Gotham Books. 

here.

You will find stability at the moment when you discover that God is everwhere,

that you do not need to seek God elsewhere,

that God is here,

and if you do not find God here it is useless to go and search elsewhere

because it is not God that is absent from us,

it is we who are absent from God...

This is important because it is only at the moment you recognize this

that you can truly find the fullness of the Kingdom of God in all its richness within you.

 

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

oddities

I've developed a weird behavior.

For the last several months, when I lay down for the night and should immediately drift off to sleep...I don't.

I grab my phone and read the news: Mlive, Huffpost, and sometimes ABCnews (in that order).

Then, something related to what I read will usually pop into my head, so I'll wikipedia that. naturally.

This starts a crazy cycle of wikipedia'ing all sorts of things....my craziness continues 'till my eyes become heavy (usually between 12:30 and 1 am), or I can't think of another thing to "look up" at the moment.

So wierd. So exhausting.
Yes, I learn a few things, but really, I need sleep more than I need random bits of information.

Not sure why I started all this, but it needs to stop!
I am questioning my neurotic tendencies. lol.

Carry on Warrior

I took in this book throughout the week. If it hadn't been from the library, it would be littered with underlines from cover to cover. Thankful for another fresh voice!

Here are some lines from Glennon that resonated with me:

"That's how you can tell that your'e filling yourself with the wrong things. You use a lot of energy, and in the end you feel emptier and less comfortable than ever."

"Since brokenness is the way of folks, the only way to live peacefully is to forgive everyone constantly, including yourself"

"People who need help sometimes look a lot like people who don't need help"

"I like to compare God's love to the sunrise. That sun shows up every morning, no matter how bad you've been the night before. It shines without judgment. It never withholds. It warms the sinners, the saints, the druggies, the cheerleaders--the saved and the heathens alike..."

"It is not my job to fill myself. It's just my job to notice my emptiness and find graceful ways to live as a broken, unfilled human"

 

"When God speaks to you by making your heart hurt for another, by giving you compassion, just do something. Please do not ignore God whispering to you"

 

"I am a child of God, and so is everyone else. We are all on the same side. And so in each new person, I see an invitation to know a new side of God. There are as many sides of him as there are people walking the earth. I think that's why he keeps making people. He's not done telling us about himself yet"

 

"Maybe hostessing is not really about the host, but the guest. Maybe it's a scared spiritual practice because every single person who crosses our doorsteps is a gift, is Jesus really. And each guest has something to teach us if we're present enough to learn. Maybe hospitality is not about my home, or my food, or my lack of stuff. Maybe it's just about soaking people in"

 

"There is beauty to be found in the pain. Life is brutal, but it's also beautiful. Life is brutiful. So I look hard for the beauty"