Dominion Over Mind II

Changing my mind allows me to balance both spirit and ego.  As Patrick Cameron said, it is “listening with my ears to what is unfolding around me and listening with my heart to what is arising within me.”  It is the experience of addressing the tasks in my life from devotion, love, compassion and kindness in addition to obligation and ‘have to.’ 

 Not honoring or cherishing the impact my deep compassionate kindness might have, and not sharing it freely, even profligately, limits my experience, makes me small, mean and full of lack.  Generosity and expansiveness are what is wanted.  Yes discipline and effort are necessary.  But they must be balanced.  All work and no play, makes Jack and me and you, dull, dull people, barely human. 

As Dr. Cameron says, “when devotion aligns with discipline, whatever I’m doing [and it could be everything I’m doing] becomes a prayer.”  Learning to pray in this way, is a process requiring devotion and discipline, time, awareness, dominion over our minds, mindfulness about who we think we are – who we’re identifying with, and a willingness to meet challenges with a glad heart and open mind.   

I really want and at times, desperately want, to listen with my ears to what is unfolding around me and listen with my heart to what is arising within me; and so balance my devotion and discipline that whatever I’m doing is prayer.  What about you?