FORTUNATE?
written by Marini Barika Facey January 22, 2010
Today I feel physically weak, but my mind says, "Let's go!" "What's next?" "Move it!" "Make haste!" It's a good thing my soul is there to keep both my mind and body balanced, so I'm not in a frenzy.
Last night when I got home, my cousin pointed at a fortune cookie on the table and said, "That's for you cuz." It wasn't a spiritual moment, and a lot of times we have to take those cookies with a grain of salt. One time I had one that said, "You are a happy man!" There was another occasion where my good friend Jake Zeller sat across from me and he got a cookie that said something like, "I hope it's sunny today." These two stories are my fortune cookie disclaimers, because you may never get a reasonable one.
After I went upstairs, I forgot about the cookie. When I finally opened the fortune it said, "Do not rush through life. Pause and enjoy it." All of you probably expected me to say it said something uber-profound like, "E=MC2" or "Move left right now, because something may fall on your head!" No, nothing profound, just simple words. I love a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that says, "The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common." We can gain wisdom through things that seem simple if we don't overlook them because we are searching for the next big thing, when a few small words can be just as powerful and effective in waking us up.
I brought this fortune up because today I feel weak, but my inclination is to be hard on myself, break myself, or do all the things I want to do anyway, even though my body is throwing out red flags. We love to strive and push ourselves, but really that shouldn't always be our propensity. The same thing goes for those whose inclinations make the pendulum swing wildly in the opposite direction.
There is a difference between being lazy and being weak... We must decipher the two, so we can produce balance and wholeness. Whether we lean towards being lazy or striving, both can be damaging to our lives if not properly addressed.
Live your lives in such a way that you take time to reflect, pause...
SABBATH=STOP
When we take a moment to stop, it gives us time to assess our lives, and access balance for our body, mind, and soul. Another one of my friends, Dave Spring, has an analogy I will never forget! He describes the importance of a tripod and how it evenly disperses its weight on each leg so it can hold everything steady, but if one leg has more weight than the other, it will fall; it is interesting as well because tripods usually hold a camera, and that can signify vision. This example of how vital balance is, applies to our body, mind, and soul. They must all be given adequate attention, so we can develop and maintain balance and vision in our lives. If any of these are lacking, we lose momentum...
SABBATH=STOP
MEDITATE.
PONDER.
REFLECT.
We must assess so we can access...