Recently I attended a retreat of Unitarian Universalists of Mississippi. We were speaking of the joys and sorrows in our lives as a theme for the weekend. Out of sharing of stories and experiences we discovered a trend. The source of our pain is also the source of our joy. For instance, if we are feeling disconnected in relationships, it is because we long for connection. Our feelings of sorrow or discomfort aren't the fault of someone else, the society, or our species. We are responsible for our own feelings, which tell us what our deep longings are. Other examples include the loss of a relationship or someone who has died. We ache for love and intimacy.
So how do we "fix" our longings? If we long for love, and there isn't enough of it and we feel lonely or sad, then, quite simply, the "fix" is more love. We can't control the behavior of another, but each of us, even just for one second or one breath, can get in touch with our deepest longings of love, for example, and bring more love into the world by shifting from blame of others or ourselves into just being love and thinking love. As the hymn goes, there is more love, somewhere, and it is inside each of us.
So, here's the fix, simple in concept, but difficult to follow through on.. Thank goodness we have one another for support and to practice.
1. What are you feeling now.
2. Identify what you long for.
3. Breathe in and connect to this longing without judgment of others or yourself.
4. Find a way to bring about what you long for in yourself and in your relationships.
Great post on an underrated concept. I once went for counseling and remember the therapist offering a definition of dysfunction: When you can't FEEL something without acting on it. For example: I feel lonely, so I form irresponsible liaisons. Or, I feel discouraged, so I drink to excess. Or, I feel angry, so I shoplift. If we can just feel the feeling, and acknowledge it, we often find that it passes on its own and leaves us in peace.
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