Prepare yourself: I am going to become philosophical about a teeny weeny peeble *smile*. Tongue in cheek, I shall refer to it as the Philosopher's Pebble. No, I am not talking about the legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals such as lead into gold or silver, commonly known as the Philosopher's Stone. I am talking about the stone that came into my Life today and made me think about my Journey in a different way.
Have you ever had a stone in your shoe? Wellll, a stone snuck into my sandal today. It is amazing how a little itty bitty piece of stone can irritate.
Sometimes it feels like a nail being driven into a soft part of the foot with each step. Other times it rattles into a place in the shoe where you can't feel it. And still other times it bounces to various parts of the foot like a pinball game, bing bing bing.
As I walked along with this pebble, I pondered my options:
Why would I live with it? Why don't I stop right now and get the rock out of my shoe? Which led me to... how sometimes I (and other people) live with nuisances in our lives. We *sigh* endure the circumstance, hoping it will be over soon, and praying for deliverance (will someone else please remove this "stone"?) So I decided to keep the stone for a while to see what I could learn about myself.
Perhaps the "stone" represents an emotion, a physical condition, or a spiritual test... hmmmmm....
During my analysis of "why don't we stop and take the stone out?" A list of plausible reasons ensues:
When I return home, I stop and (without haste or irritation) I release the stone. "Thank you for the conversation and lesson," I say to the stone. "Goodbye." The stone falls to the ground and I never see it again. Then again, maybe it has become indistinguishable from the other stones and I pass by it everyday without recognizing it. But that's another conversation for another day. *smile*
Have you ever had a stone in your shoe? Wellll, a stone snuck into my sandal today. It is amazing how a little itty bitty piece of stone can irritate.
Sometimes it feels like a nail being driven into a soft part of the foot with each step. Other times it rattles into a place in the shoe where you can't feel it. And still other times it bounces to various parts of the foot like a pinball game, bing bing bing.
As I walked along with this pebble, I pondered my options:
stop and remove my foot apparel in order to extricate the stone
OR
live with it
Why would I live with it? Why don't I stop right now and get the rock out of my shoe? Which led me to... how sometimes I (and other people) live with nuisances in our lives. We *sigh* endure the circumstance, hoping it will be over soon, and praying for deliverance (will someone else please remove this "stone"?) So I decided to keep the stone for a while to see what I could learn about myself.
Perhaps the "stone" represents an emotion, a physical condition, or a spiritual test... hmmmmm....
During my analysis of "why don't we stop and take the stone out?" A list of plausible reasons ensues:
- Stopping on our Walk of Life can seem like such a monumental inconvenience. We are in a hurry to get from point A to point B. Or we are walking with someone else and don't want them to be inconvenienced.
- Perhaps we are lazy, distracted, or wounded. If we stop, we may not start up again.
- We minimalize the situation, so we tell ourselves it is not that bad. Or on the flip side, we like to complain or to be a martyr.
- And then another thought swoops in --- maybe it is not about Us at all. Maybe it is about what the "stone" needs. Maybe the stone needs a safe harbor for a while. Let it ride.
And the list continues ad nauseum.
I finally decide that I will use this as an opportunity to practice compassionate detachment and acceptance. After all, I can turn my attention to something else. So I do, and eventually I no longer notice the stone. I am walking along focused on other things and it is as if the stone has ceased to exist.
After a few more blocks, the stone jiggles into my awareness again. Oh, that's right, there is a stone in my sandal. Then, I allow myself to forget about the stone again and I walk a little farther.
When I return home, I stop and (without haste or irritation) I release the stone. "Thank you for the conversation and lesson," I say to the stone. "Goodbye." The stone falls to the ground and I never see it again. Then again, maybe it has become indistinguishable from the other stones and I pass by it everyday without recognizing it. But that's another conversation for another day. *smile*
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