Last weekend I attended a wonderful and soul-filling retreat that
really focused on tending to our inner life, awaking to the beauty of
life all around, reducing the toxicity and stress in our life and
staying grounded and serene. After several days at a wonderfully slow
pace that allowed time for a little (but extremely on-point) input from our retreat leader and a lot of time for
walking, journaling, deep conversations with other retreatants, napping
and just sitting in meditation, I came home so centered and relaxed.
The
next day as I walked on my treadmill while watching the news on TV, I
found myself getting all tensed up with stories about political fights
(what's new, right?!), murder and mayhem. I could feel my serenity and
groundedness slipping away. I wasn't ready to let that go and slip right
back into the stress I feel when I get all caught up in the toxicity of
news coverage. I opted to shut off the TV and just shake off the
negativity.
I know I want to stay informed so at some
point, I'll be ready to hear the news again. But for now, I just need to
take a break. I need a time-out! I want to keep this feeling of being
centered and calm. I like the way it allows me to be more
generous-hearted, loving, forgiving and compassionate. I want to be this
way more often. Now to find the right balance for me....
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