Die Empty

6/12/2021

Here is my reflection to Todd Henry's thoughtful writing:

There are many reasons I have for working. One of the reasons is for survival and for meeting my and my family's basic needs. There is something more than just surviving. My core values are fulfillment, deep contentment and joy. I am clear about my purpose and intention for working hard. I engage my energy fully not only to meet my needs and aspirations and my welfare. I also devote my energy for serving others selflessly. This is my way of living spiritually.

I discovered my path of living fully by going through some hard and painful times in my life. I learned valuable lessons from my pain. My pain helped me understand pain of others empathically. My mother used to sing a song that conveys the way we learn empathy for others. It is by going though our own pain mindfully, we can understand the pain of others and cultivate empathy and compassion. The good news is that we are wired for empathy and compassion. Like any other skills we can cultivate empathy and compassion for ourselves and for others.

When I live mindfully I do not have any regrets or remorse for not living fully. Living life mindfully and fully is dying empty. Fullness is emptiness. This is a paradoxical truth.
Namaste!

2 Comments

Drake

6/19/2021 12:23:54 pm

During the hardest moments of my life, I feel as if I were close enough to death to see how full I really am. After those moments, I have struggled to find a consistent work ethic to bring those creative energies out of me. Though, this article has helped put my values and my work ethic into perspective for me so I can move closer to living my life fully and mindful so I too can die empty.

Therese M Griffin

6/19/2021 03:41:46 pm

There Is Something More Than Just Surviving

It's like the old saying, "Stop and smell the roses." In my younger days, I was self-centered because life was all about me. In my twenties, life was all that's right or wrong. In my opinion, that became a small world.

In my thirties, I had to fight with my Vision Learning Disability that wasn't understood in the school system when I was a child. I focused on searching for how I could learn to earn a degree. "Who's Smart And Still Can't Read" was me. During this period, I learned empathy was to imagine walking in other less fortunate shoes. And change my attitude to gratitude. I earned my BA near my forties.

My spiritual director Ev stated, "In one's forties, they have already developed work-centered skills. Now, you can relax to see what is in God's plan moving forward.

I became a Union Labor Leader as President of UFCW Local P-247 connected with Libby's Food Factory. I moved into a Master's Program: Creation Theology. All of a sudden doors open to work with disadvantaged people, not because it wasn’t all their fault. They got caught in a system that placed more burdens than rewards. Today, I am wired with empathy and compassion because others taught me how to accept love and guidance from others.

When I live mindfully gives me the energy to embrace struggles through the eyes of God as these are teachable moments. It's hard to be patient during God's learning curves. When I trust my mindfulness, who I am as a woman today, I have made amends to those I've hurt in the past when possible. Those I was unable, I give good thoughts about them remembering parts of their brokenness to enhance the memory list of what they have given to the universe in teaching others.

Mindfulness

Die Empty

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