Friday, September 22, 2006

Ya know...

Sometimes I can be very annoying, know-it-all, busy-body. I realize that this may not be news to some of you. The last thing I ever intend to do is piss people off who just don't want to hear it. I realize that much of this may be my projections, but some of it isn't.

I worry sometimes, especially in regards to my Buddhist practice, that some people feel like I'm shoving the whole "up-with-people-positivity-you-can-create-whatever-you-want-in-your-life" in their faces. I don't want to become one of those religious fanatic types. It's hard sometimes, because very often, I tend to not view the Buddhism I practice as "religion", per se. I view it as bodywork, spirit work, vocal work, and in the end, religion - if you feel better calling it that. Thing is, Buddha was a man. He attained enlightenment in this life, in the present moment. I fully believe that anyone can create this.

I just get very zealous sometimes thinking about all the good things my practice has created in my life. I get zealous, I see people I care about suffering, and I want to help. I think I need to develop more creative nuances in how I share my experience.

I also worry sometimes (I am human and can't help it), that people think my life is all tea and cakes. Not true, at all. Things still suck, my body still hurts (a lot - but not as much as it did one month ago before I started making my physical pain a big part of my practice), I still feel extremely overwhelmed, I still get really fucking angry at a lot of things. It just seems like these emotions don't have as much control over me as they used to, which is nice. I also don't tend to post the extent of the "bad stuff" because I've been burned, a lot, when I've posted such things online in the past. Ultimately, the bottom line is, that if there is anything about me or my life that can assist someone I care about to create happiness in their own lives, then I'll do whatever it takes.

I post this disclaimer today for me. No one has spoken with me directly about any ill effects of my sometimes annoying positivity. If what I say resonates, then perhaps reading this will shed some light on my intentions, perhaps not. Ultimately, I just want the people I care about to be happy. The thing I have to remind myself of constantly is that they will be happy when they are ready to be happy, and not in accordance with my timelines.

I guess it's a good thing that I didn't get my Master's in Psychology. They say you teach best what you most need to learn.

9 comments:

thelyamhound said...

As someone who applies these same Buddhist teachings with dashes of pantheism, existentialism, nihilism, and chaos theory, I have to say that your buoyant positivity is a welcome tonic for those times when my worldview descends into despair, inertia, or militancy. You have no cause for shame.

In a way, I think ALL understanding between people contains some percentage of misunderstanding, that experience is more subjective--and the self therefore more isolated--than we'll ever really know. So any attempt to help another has the potential to foment dischord. That's no reason not to try, or to lack the faith in yourself that allows you to reach out thus. That faith is one of your more attractive qualities.

JJisafool said...

Burned?

NME said...

I enjoy your positivity immensely and I use it to put myself in check at times. Thanks for sharing.

Stine said...

Thanks NME, just feeling a little annoyed at myself.

JJ - Next time I see you, remind me to tell you about a little bird I once met online. I've just had many instances of laying it all out there virtually, losing friends as a result, being blamed for a host of shit, and being completely misinterpreted. So I tend to save the really icky stuff (don't get me wrong, I will still go off about my life with the best of them), for my writing journal and the friends I trust in real life.

Stine said...

PS Ly - Mouh!

the beige one said...

oh, that little bird...

Linnet said...

your care and kindness and loving energy are wonderful. thank you! and, yes, season trade time!! what are you doing next week sometime?

Anonymous said...

Yeah -- finally a day of a little downtime to catch up on the blogs of my loved ones. For the record, I always walk away form anytime I spend with you a better person, which is one of those kinda sorta cool things. All my love to you two, and thank you both for your love and support.

keda said...

well i like it.

though re-incarnation? bah sucks. i yearn for nothingness. eventually.

right now posistivity is my staple. and anyone who's got that.. i will ummmmm ugh... slurp anytime :)

do it babe.

we the rest of us love some o' that moistness. oh happy fois gras.