Spiritual Anger

I beginning to think that to live a spiritual, compassionate life is to also allow myself to be angry.  I think that maybe being compassionate for myself is another concept that would be OK for anger towards others.  I believe the more I tap into my heart which means opening my heart up which means being in touch with my emotions which means having permission to be angry is a path for my spiritual journey that I need to take.

Anger is passion. I believe I need to allow myself to give myself that full range of emotions where passion is at both ends of that spectrum, from anger to deep engagement.  I believe that is why I don't have a clear idea on what my passion, my Life's Work is for me.  I have trained myself not to fully engage in what I love and what I hate.  I took on my family and my Japanese culture's values of not being emotional.

So when is it OK to be angry?  How do I reprogram myself to know which situations that I should get angry about?  What IS righteous anger?  I feel that it is standing up for myself kind of anger where I perceive people who are not giving me respect.  How about those who cut me off while I'm driving?  How about dealing with customer service?

Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist's Way, says, “Rage at a bully or at a bullying situation is actually a wonderful sign. Once we own it, it is our own rage at allowing ourselves and others to be bullied. If it is our own, we can use it. Yes, this rage feel murderous and distorting, but is is actually a needed corrective. If our rage is that large, so are we.” 

As I play around the idea of when I can practice my anger, I realize that I have not much a clue.  Maybe I should just start small and work on my anger toward those that I know that I am already angry at, like my ex-wife, my older brother, my former bosses, or most Republicans or Tea Baggers?  I believe that this is easier to do than to be fully into my joy.  I vaguely remember those feelings more than anger which I never allowed myself to engage in.

I probably cannot defend my desire to be angry, especially toward someone, as a spiritual practice but there you go.  Psychological health and spiritual practice are intertwined don't you think?  I think being emotionally healthy begets enhanced spiritual enlightenment, or at least some peace within.

SHARE YOUR ANGER or at least YOUR COMMENTS

Sloppy Spirituality

When I read the Huffington Post article, The Life Out Loud: Where Spirituality Gets Sloppy, I got a bit excited for I related to the author's contention of how spirituality and fun are not mutually incompatible.  This reminded me of Jack Kornfield's book, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path where he talks about how challenging it is for those who actually are Enlightened to go back to their ordinary, day-to-day lives that don't involve sitting with other consciously spiritual practitioners in some remote temple. 


I think it is a challenge to be a spiritual being in this physical world.  This article caused me to think how I view spirituality, what that is, how best to practice it, what I *should* or should not do to conform to what is considered a spiritual ideal. As the article's author notes; sex, drugs, and rock n' roll does not evoke following a spiritual path.

My spiritual practice is simple though may not be easy.  I look to live in the present moment, practice kindness, and live from my heart.  I believe if I do that then joy, peace, and good works will follow.

So my idea to get closer to being able to know my Life's Work is to create a support and discussion group that explores how best we can live a spiritual life within the context of our everyday, "ordinary" lives.  I am not sure how best to facilitate this though and that is why I am thinking out loud here on my blog.


I would find out why they are here at this "Sloppy Spirituality" group.  I would ask the group what they think of when they are living a spiritual life. I would find out what challenges, hurdles, and difficulties they face that keep them from a spiritual life.


I would like the group to be experiential for I believe that one of the main obstacles for changing our lives is being too much in our head and focus on talking about our problems rather than doing something about it.  I'm a bit stumped to know what sort of things we can do to generate some movement, especially in a group of strangers where most if not all would be cautious and not wanting to be vulnerable.


I did get the idea of holding the meeting in a pub.  What better place to practice our sloppiness?  *grin*  A place where most people would not think of practicing their spirituality.


I know that I want to do this because of my desire to work through my life in reconciling my idea of being spiritual and how I live my life.  I know a linchpin in that practice is having fun and creating joy within myself.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS IDEA?  WOULD YOU COME?  COMMENTS PLEASE!

Being remembered after you are gone

I noticed that there was some things going on in my life that seem to reveal a common theme.  I got to see the movie "Get Low" which had the main character wanting to stage his own funeral while he was still living.  The funeral was going to be a forum for people to say what they really thought about him.  He lived his life by punishing himself by withdrawing from people and life.  He really wanted redemption from a shameful act that he lived with for many decades. 

I got to experience something similar when I sent email out to my bicycling group announcing that I was withdrawing from the leadership team because I could not work with the primary organizer.  I received such an outpouring of appreciation as the result of that notification.  I discounted my positive impact on the people who have been a part of my social-exercise life so being noticed and praised was a surprising validation of who I am and what I do.

My 11 year old or older dog was just diagnosed with diabetes.  She had to go through several episodes of collapse in order for me to find out what is the problem with her.  I got Chili soon after my divorce when I walked away from my home, my children, and soon thereafter, after losing my job.  She was the only reason why I left my apartment three times a day in order to walk her.  Now before I fully knew what her diagnosis was, I thought I was going to lose her.  Her companionship and presence was literally life saving for me during those past dark times.  Now she is a life enhancer for me and my almost adult children.  I guess I included this as part of this theme is because her near death brought sharply to focus what she has brought into my life.  And perhaps, this helps me realize what I bring into HER life as well.

My 96 year old uncle just died.  He was the eldest of 8 siblings of my Mother's family.  His death is signified to me the fading family connection with my Mother.  She passed 18 years ago, a week before my daughter was born.  I got to be with my Mother's brothers and sisters as I was growing up so there was that sense of familial comfort and belonging.  We remembered him before he even died.  We got to talk about the "old days" whenever we were with him, especially when my Mother was still alive.

So it is a stretch to tie these events that occurred within a week of each other into a theme of dying and remembrance?  Perhaps.  Or maybe it is not so much remembrance but redemption?  And is it not the thread more of not needing to die in order to be redeemed?

I believe the message is that it is more how we choose to live our lives right now to create that good karma rather than having to wait until we die.  I believe such reminders of death and dying helps remind all of us to focus on that.  Not only that, I believe that it is a good thing to recognize the positive impact I have on people for that can only encourage me to continue to focus on kindness, joy, respect for self and others and those positive actions will follow from that.

PLEASE MAKE A POSITIVE (or any other kind) IMPACT and leave a COMMENT