I didn't write this. I found Michael Hudson's blog,'Ordinary Mindfulness' about a year ago, and have been a regular visitor ever since. What I feel about this post is ,that it points up a profound truth - you don't need to bej religious to be spiritual, and to be spiritual is simply to feed, rather than starve, the inner self that is the truest you. And to feed others too, if you like.
Instructions for Living a Life
Mary Oliver writes
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.I
These 7 words have potential to open hearts and resuscitate souls. Yet our tendency is to 'like' what Mary Oliver has written, to read it quickly, and move on.
Awareness practice will slow this process down--a lot--and teach us not only to like it but to stick with it till we metabolize it.
And as we metabolize it we also may come to understand that Something ELSE might be written and metabolized. Something about inviting others (with eyes and smile and body language and Presence) to do the same--to tell us what astonishes them.
And then to listen, listen, to practice listening, liking, savoring--and gentle prompting.
We could do a lot worse than go through a day, any day, THIS day:
Paying attention.
Being astonished.
Telling about it.
And inviting others...
to do the same.
