Thank you for this timely, practical post. My metaphor for these times is that I need to be a lighthouse; not engulfed by the storm, but shining love and peace upon the tumultuous waters. ❤️🕊️
Caveat: Stepping up ion my soapbox again. When I was studying psychology a hundred years ago, my professor, Nancy Wagner (no relation) taught us a concept that I have never found elsewhere - psychopharmacuetical addiction. Meaning that the cocktail of chemicals our body produces as part of the "fight-flight-hide" response to danger and the adjoining emotions of fear and anger - can literally become addictive. Those chemicals parallel street drugs, and unfortunately make us feel good - righteous even - and can give meaning and purpose to a life if the person does not have something bigger to focus on.
I have seen this over and over in my personal life and the time I spent helping my clients deal with unhealthy workplace conflict: the joyful energy people often demonstrate while complaining about people specifically and the world in general. Those feelings substitute for action.
I noticed something about people who experience longtime success in life even through hard times- they rarely complain or blame. Instead, they are busy doing. They take action, from sweeping the floor to running for political office. They do what they can and mostly ignore the rest.
For these successful people meaning and purpose is about setting goals - both short-term and longterm. They might respond to new and current perceived dangers, but they don't panic.
They are not naive about corruption, the impact of authoritarians on daily life, or even how the actions of good people can have unintended consequences. They are picky about how to spent their energy, attention, and resources. They don't react immediately unless it is a true and immediate emergency, which are not very common.
My dad was a doctor, and he and my mom taught us an important lesson - If you are breathing on your own, if you have a pulse, and you aren't bleeding from a major artery, it is not a crisis. A sense of perspective - a pause button - helps assess the situation before taking action.
Hard to convince someone to stop and think while they are cocooned in chemicals that make them feel important.
Who knew that Beatle mania might ever be so timely: "Let It Be" The calm and compassion begins with ourselves before it can be offered to others. Thank you for sharing at a very important time in our lives. Peace and Good Will to All!
Love this part and I’ve been working on this for a while now, still haven’t mastered this yet and your article is a good reminder.
“In Buddhist thought, suffering is inevitable, but clinging to suffering—or trying to take on the suffering of others as our own—can lead us to drown in an ocean of despair. The key lies in cultivating mindfulness, which allows us to be present with others while protecting our own inner peace.”
This quote is in alignment with something that Thich Nhan Han shares, really enjoy the visual as I can so relate and thought it would be of benefit to others who relate to this sort of thing, “We have to use the equivalent aspects of our consciousness to protect us from unwholesome sense objects that can poison us. The Buddha offered this drastic image: “There is a cow with such a terrible skin disease that her skin is almost no longer there. When you bring her close to an ancient wall or old tree, all the living creatures in the bark of the tree come out, cling to the cow’s body, and suck. When we bring her into the water, the same thing happens. Even when she is just exposed to the air, tiny insects come and suck.” Then the Buddha said, “This is our situation, also.” We are exposed to invasions of all kinds — images, sounds, smells, touch, ideas — and many of these feed the craving, violence, fear, and despair in us. The Buddha advised us to post a sentinel, namely mindfulness, at each of our sense doors to protect ourselves. Use your Buddha eyes to look at each nutriment you are about to ingest. If you see that it is toxic, refuse to look at it, listen to it, taste it, or touch it. Ingest only what you are certain is safe.” - from The heart of the Buddha’s teaching
Thank you for the into to Mark Epstein, sounds like very interesting work. 🙏🏽
Your blog post resonates deeply with me, highlighting the essential balance between supporting others and caring for ourselves. I've found that grounding practices like meditation and deep breathing are transformative, allowing me to stay emotionally stable and present without losing myself in others' struggles.
The concept of non-attachment is liberating, reminding me that I can offer compassion without feeling responsible for solving everyone’s problems. I particularly love the idea of channeling pain into compassionate action, as it empowers individuals to redirect their energy towards positive goals, creating ripples of change in the community.
Your insights serve as a valuable guide for navigating our emotional landscapes while maintaining our inner peace, and they inspire me to recommit to my own emotional hygiene practices, reinforcing that self-care is essential for sustaining our ability to help others.
Thank you for sharing these transformative thoughts!
I absolutely loved that you shared these thoughts before the holidays. There are many people caught in the 24-hour news cycle—which is almost never healthy. The comments you received are insightful and thoughtful. The lighthouse analogy stuck with me along with the body’s chemical addiction to outrage. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you for this timely, practical post. My metaphor for these times is that I need to be a lighthouse; not engulfed by the storm, but shining love and peace upon the tumultuous waters. ❤️🕊️
Lighthouse, YES! 🙌 Love that analogy
Good morning, Diamond-Michael. I found this piece quite helpful -- and actually wrote about it already this morning. I hope you enjoy these thoughts:
https://halgrotevant.substack.com/p/of-light
Hi Hal. This is excellent. Thank you. I really appreciate the shoutout.
I very much appreciate your writing. Wishing you the best!
Thank you!
Caveat: Stepping up ion my soapbox again. When I was studying psychology a hundred years ago, my professor, Nancy Wagner (no relation) taught us a concept that I have never found elsewhere - psychopharmacuetical addiction. Meaning that the cocktail of chemicals our body produces as part of the "fight-flight-hide" response to danger and the adjoining emotions of fear and anger - can literally become addictive. Those chemicals parallel street drugs, and unfortunately make us feel good - righteous even - and can give meaning and purpose to a life if the person does not have something bigger to focus on.
I have seen this over and over in my personal life and the time I spent helping my clients deal with unhealthy workplace conflict: the joyful energy people often demonstrate while complaining about people specifically and the world in general. Those feelings substitute for action.
I noticed something about people who experience longtime success in life even through hard times- they rarely complain or blame. Instead, they are busy doing. They take action, from sweeping the floor to running for political office. They do what they can and mostly ignore the rest.
For these successful people meaning and purpose is about setting goals - both short-term and longterm. They might respond to new and current perceived dangers, but they don't panic.
They are not naive about corruption, the impact of authoritarians on daily life, or even how the actions of good people can have unintended consequences. They are picky about how to spent their energy, attention, and resources. They don't react immediately unless it is a true and immediate emergency, which are not very common.
My dad was a doctor, and he and my mom taught us an important lesson - If you are breathing on your own, if you have a pulse, and you aren't bleeding from a major artery, it is not a crisis. A sense of perspective - a pause button - helps assess the situation before taking action.
Hard to convince someone to stop and think while they are cocooned in chemicals that make them feel important.
Who knew that Beatle mania might ever be so timely: "Let It Be" The calm and compassion begins with ourselves before it can be offered to others. Thank you for sharing at a very important time in our lives. Peace and Good Will to All!
“Let It Be” YES! 🙌
I got pulled in today. Thank you for giving me these practices
The beauty of life is that we can put our car in reverse and hit the accelerator. 😳 Stay grounded Elizabeth. Happy Holidays!
Love this part and I’ve been working on this for a while now, still haven’t mastered this yet and your article is a good reminder.
“In Buddhist thought, suffering is inevitable, but clinging to suffering—or trying to take on the suffering of others as our own—can lead us to drown in an ocean of despair. The key lies in cultivating mindfulness, which allows us to be present with others while protecting our own inner peace.”
This quote is in alignment with something that Thich Nhan Han shares, really enjoy the visual as I can so relate and thought it would be of benefit to others who relate to this sort of thing, “We have to use the equivalent aspects of our consciousness to protect us from unwholesome sense objects that can poison us. The Buddha offered this drastic image: “There is a cow with such a terrible skin disease that her skin is almost no longer there. When you bring her close to an ancient wall or old tree, all the living creatures in the bark of the tree come out, cling to the cow’s body, and suck. When we bring her into the water, the same thing happens. Even when she is just exposed to the air, tiny insects come and suck.” Then the Buddha said, “This is our situation, also.” We are exposed to invasions of all kinds — images, sounds, smells, touch, ideas — and many of these feed the craving, violence, fear, and despair in us. The Buddha advised us to post a sentinel, namely mindfulness, at each of our sense doors to protect ourselves. Use your Buddha eyes to look at each nutriment you are about to ingest. If you see that it is toxic, refuse to look at it, listen to it, taste it, or touch it. Ingest only what you are certain is safe.” - from The heart of the Buddha’s teaching
Thank you for the into to Mark Epstein, sounds like very interesting work. 🙏🏽
Your blog post resonates deeply with me, highlighting the essential balance between supporting others and caring for ourselves. I've found that grounding practices like meditation and deep breathing are transformative, allowing me to stay emotionally stable and present without losing myself in others' struggles.
The concept of non-attachment is liberating, reminding me that I can offer compassion without feeling responsible for solving everyone’s problems. I particularly love the idea of channeling pain into compassionate action, as it empowers individuals to redirect their energy towards positive goals, creating ripples of change in the community.
Your insights serve as a valuable guide for navigating our emotional landscapes while maintaining our inner peace, and they inspire me to recommit to my own emotional hygiene practices, reinforcing that self-care is essential for sustaining our ability to help others.
Thank you for sharing these transformative thoughts!
Leborah, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. You have given us all some additional wisdom for reflection. Grateful 🙏
I absolutely loved that you shared these thoughts before the holidays. There are many people caught in the 24-hour news cycle—which is almost never healthy. The comments you received are insightful and thoughtful. The lighthouse analogy stuck with me along with the body’s chemical addiction to outrage. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Hi Brenda. Thanks for sharing your feedback. Great to hear from you. Happy Holidays
Thank you - a timely read for me in the lead up to Christmas - so many emotions on the boil. Very good advice.
Thanks for these thoughts that are so appropriate for the challenges these times often present.
Always dropping those gems 💎 Mr Dimond-Michael 🙏🏽 thank you for your wisdom
Thank you! 🙌🫶