Friday, October 18, 2013

Wisdom: Avoiding the Faux Knowing Place - #85

Shadows, Saliva, Anger, Kudzu, and Boys in the Basement have been mysteries explored in the posts and bonus posts of exploring the mystery these last few months. I've learned and grown from these explorations of life's mysteries.

When I saw the cover of the November Oprah magazine

 Life's Mysteries--Solved!

I didn't rush to open the magazine. I have learned the excitement that comes when one is deeply exploring the mystery for one's self. Admittedly there are hazards to be faced when unraveling any sort of mystery. 

When I feel puzzled by something I don't understand (a mystery), my tendency is to rush to my KNOWING Place.

My knowing place is where I KNOW what someone else is thinking, I KNOW what an image represents, I KNOW how I feel & how everyone else feels, and I KNOW what is right and what is wrong. 

 All of these KNOWINGS get in the way of me staying open to receiving more information from the situation or from the other.

 The Rilke* reading for October 18 synchronistically says this in a more elegant manner:

 "Outside of poetry and art, security is only and ever achieved at the cost of the most inescapable limitation. This diminishment consists of choosing to be satisfied and pleasured by a world where everything is known and where preoccupation with self is both possible and useful. But how could we want that? Our security must become a relationship to the whole, omitting nothing."

 While I don't totally understand what Rilke means, each time I read his words, I know a little more about the pleasure of staying open to mystery and not rushing to solutions. I hope the same is true for you.

 Thanks for exploring the mystery - Nicky Mendenhall

*A Year With Rilke: Daily Readings from the Best of Rainer Maria Rilke, Translated and Edited by Joanna Macy & Anita Barrows (2009)
 

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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 19, 2013 at 7:22 PM

    This is really important to me right now....not worrying about security, not knowing how this is all going to work out but trying to live each day and be glad for my many blessings. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. NicolaOctober 19, 2013 at 7:23 PM

    Sounds like you are on a wise path.
    Thanks for the message.
    Nicky

    ReplyDelete
  3. CarlOctober 22, 2013 at 2:40 PM

    Nicky-I just read this (#85), and you are so right. It is really difficult
    > to not make conclusions, and we seldom know all the facts in any
    > situation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NicolaOctober 24, 2013 at 5:56 PM

      Thanks Carl for reminding me/us that often we don't know all the facts.

      Delete
  4. MargieOctober 24, 2013 at 5:51 PM


    MY KNOWING PLACE?

    I too got my Oprah’s Magazine, reading the headline it was the first thing I turned to, gleefully thinking at last the answer has arrived!

    Alas, once again I must do my own work! Go figure.

    I have been studying my KNOWING PLACE lately – it seems to be a mixture of rights, wrongs, should, and cannot. It is a combination of others views, points, opinions, wishes, doubts and secret desires. And my own life experience which at times still boggles my mind.

    So I have been not rushing to my KNOWING PLACE so quickly. I symbolically hold my thoughts, ideas, decisions and desires in my hand to explore what am I looking at and how does that fit with what I believe today - with my knowledge, experience, does it have meaning, as I see myself today. If it has potential then I move it to my knowing place and cherish it!

    Blessings, Margie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NicolaOctober 24, 2013 at 5:55 PM

      How interesting that you know what is in your knowing place!

      Thanks for your thoughtful message.

      Delete

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