Mid-week Inspiration,

I recently heard an analogy while attending a Buddhist meditation: doctor patient relationship. The author of the book, who I presently don’t recall, referred to a doctor patient relationship as a healthy mental attitude.  The idea being that we should look at ourselves from a level of professional distance.  When the patient within us is calling for attention we allow ourselves to move into the doctor perspective; take a higher view.  The point is to remove ourselves from our problems, get some perspective, and develop some detachment.  Typically our problems diminish with distance even mental distance. 

This is the mental attitude suggested by spiritual masters through the ages; we have the power to transcend or move beyond our challenges.  We do this by moving into a “higher consciousness”. 

As Jesus said when temptation hounded him “get thee behind me Satan”.  Each of us, who are seriously interested in spiritual growth through our chosen path, must consciously remove ourselves from our favorite little “pity party”. 

Last week I spoke of gratitude: one cannot possibly feel depressed and grateful at the same time.  Gratitude is not something that just happens it must be fostered; we must give time and attention to developing an attitude of gratitude each day.  One powerful way to do this is to focus on what is really happening in our lives, rather than falling into the traps of complaining and drama.

Says Gregg Krech, author of "Naikan: Gratitude, Grace, and the Japanese Art of Self Reflection". "The basic practice of Naikan, which translates to "inside-looking," consists of asking oneself three questions every day: “(1) What have I received today?   (2) What have I given?  (3) What trouble have I caused?”  "While Naikan doesn't deny the difficult parts of our lives, it puts things into perspective," says Krech, who asks himself these three questions every evening.

We will often through a practice of ‘taking inventory’, as it is referred to in AA, find ourselves feeling a little embarrassed by the imbalances illustrated by our answers.  We will always find our lives moving in a more enriching and joy filled direction.  So although painfully revealing at times such a practice of taking inventory will also be very rewarding.

It is also valuable to recognize that we actually change our memories by focusing on and affirming those good events that have unfolded in our lives.  Where our attention goes our energy flows and that which we consistently think about in ‘I can’ terms has an uncanny way of becoming our lives.

May your life be enriched by the memory of joy-filled moments this week.

In Love and Light,