Monday, October 06, 2008


TOP 10 QUESTIONS CHASING THEIR TAILS IN MY BRAIN

10. If we all go green, converting all our bills to paperless, unsubscribing to all catalogs, doing all our correspondence through the Internet, all things I've personally moved towards, will we bankrupt the USPS? And if so, do we care?

9. Is non-attachment just a nicer word for apathy?

8. How do you keep your prayers from turning into wishes?

7. How long does it take to "get," that some people just aren't ever going to "get it?"

6. How do you remain loving and kind, to people in your life that are neither loving nor kind, yet aren't going anywhere?

5. How do you intervene, without interfering?

4. How do you care, without being careless?

3. How is letting go, different than giving up?

2. How is moving on, different from abandonment?

1. If I know in my heart of hearts, that the differences all lie in the intention/attitude/energy behind the emotions/actions, how do I convince my brain?

18 comments:

Angie Ledbetter said...

Your brain is very smart! Convince Self by repeating often, or at least first thing in the morning.

Anonymous said...

7
3
2
all very difficult
just to the best for you.
xoLO

Anonymous said...

GREAT questions..... I can relate to many of them and sadly have no answers........

Joanne said...

I think many of them don't have any answers. That's exactly what they are - chasing your tail questions. They're what makes life compicated, difficult, sweet, sad, and all those other emotions that define us.

Jess said...

Good good questions.

Anonymous said...

my cat keeps walking back and forth across my computer. She thinks she is being involved in my life. She is wondering why I look into this picture and not into her eyes. Life would be simple if I were a cat. My cat that is. All great questions Carrie. I wonder these same things sometimes.

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Fantastic list! As for point 6 - I just get rid when I realise that he person is a bummer yet again!

Ask Me Anything said...

you just keep writing about everything i need to read!

Robin said...

On a good day, I can tell some of those answers by whether or not I have a sense of peace concerning the problem. On a bad day, I wonder if I will ever know anything.

Michelle O'Neil said...

No answers, just love.

Maddy said...

Ommmmmm with extra espresso as a chaser.
Best wishes

Lori said...

#7 is absolutely true. Too many people spend their lives trying to fix people who just don't care to be fixed. :)

Drama Mama said...

The answer to all of the above:

Keep doing what you're doing.

Anonymous said...

Great, thought-provoking questions. Here are some thoughts from me:

10. I'm not willing to do all my correspondence through the internet, I think a handwritten letter or card is an important way to connect; but maybe the USPS will only carry mail important to the heart and therefore deliver it more mindfully.

9. Yes.

8. By taking positive action to help them happen and passing forward acts of random kindness.

7. Depends on how attached you are to the person not getting it.

6. Then it's up to you to go somewhere. I'm a big believer in cutting the deadwood out of my life.

5. By respecting the other's choice, even when you don't agree, and letting the person know you still feel love, even in light of disagreement.

4. Gently, passionately, but with respect for choices that are different from yours.

3. You let go when you realize it's better for the other, or that you've outgrown a person or situation. You give up when you're not willing to take the action and responsibility to move forward.

2. You move on after completion and resolution. Abandonment means leaving something undone.

1. Ignore both the heart and the brain and rely on your gut. Your gut guides you the most truly towards your own integrity.

Anonymous said...

Do whatever you have to do to stay grounded. There is no black or white answers with your questions, only how you perceive it. Perception is everything. As is being kind, which you are.

Anonymous said...

When you have the answers, please forward them to me:)

Unknown said...

these are awesome!!!! Boy do I relate to #7 lately!! But I will say that for the difference between letting go and giving up - letting go to me involves not so much not caring about the outcome(giving up) but yielding control (or the illusion of control) that we often have by trying to control or change or affect things by our behavior.

Also I don't think non-attachment is a nicer word for apathy. I think Apathy is truly not caring (about things that we should care about like the environment or poverty for example) whereas the principle of non-attachment seems to me more related to specific situations, which are smaller in scope. When we get attached to a particular outcome at a particular time, we lose sight of the fact that we often plant seeds that never germinate during the time we see the germination, and especially not the fruit. Being not attached means (for one example anyway) we trust that when we plant seeds of faith, hope, and love that they will germinate whether or not we sit and watch and wait in anticipation. They may not germinate in our lifetimes... but I do believe that all the good we do makes a difference even if we don't realize it or see it. :)

Nancy said...

I'll be pondering that list for weeks! Some of those may take a lifetime to answer, and perhaps that is what this journey is all about. Wishing you peace.