Blog entry for:

Thu, Oct 3, 2013 09:14:17 AM


∅ the ONLY thing that will free me from self-will and the conflict it generates ∅
posted: Thu, Oct 3, 2013 09:14:17 AM

 

in my life is to break my reliance on ego, coming to rely instead on the guidance and power offered to me by the POWER that fuels my recovery.
as the reading sunk in, i finally saw what it was about a very expected reaction, that so totally pissed me off. the letter i received a week ago, had no surprises in it, and yet i was butt-hurt enough to say: “fVck off, have a great life, leave me alone, i want nothing more to do with you!”
yes, it was the mirror of the behaviors of others, showing me what i do not want to see, but unfortunately what i NEED to see. yes, that missive from hell, as it were, was full of contempt and self-will. it is a perfect example of an over-inflated ego, trying to assert itself and manipulate the world to suit its needs. how do i know this? well, i am in the same boat. i am hardly immune to over-inflation of my ego. i am not above a bit of manipulation to adjust the world to my selfish needs. nor am i free from the obsession with self, that drives self-will. when my shortcomings are thrown up into my face, i react defensively, and defensive was certainly my reaction, when i took the time to read that letter.
six days later? well the smoke is starting to clear, and i am moving into a new spot as i realize that i can never, ever meet the expectations of the man on the other side of that letter, and unfortunately, he probably is incapable of meeting mine, even though i would gleefully say, that his letter was living up to my expectations in full. what i am hearing as i wind down this morning is that life is too short for me to walk around believing that i am the exception to the rules. that someone out there owes me something. or that somehow, somewhere, i can get everything my little heart desires, and get it right now. can i let go of self, and especially the image of myself i want to project to the rest of the world, even for a minute? of course i can, i have done so in the past and if i allow myself to be guided by the POWER that fuels my recovery. anyhow, enough of being distracted,now that my fantasy football obsession has been satisfied now that i have everything on my work space set-up and ready to go. it must be time to move forward with the task that is on my desk.
i really do hate seeing myself in others, and there are days when i wish that was not so. i want to be right, and self-righteous. i want to avenge the imagined harms perpetrated upon me. i want to have justification to burn a relationship down to the ground, BUT all of that is really inconsistent with the man i really want to become. as the battle between ego and GOD heats up from time to time, i have to realize that the POWER that fuels my recovery is an asset for me, and not a stumbling block to acquiring my desires. when i bend my will, and do so gratefully to fit into that plan, i am better off, in both the short and long run. so it is off to code land again and see if i can be more than i ever thought i was, just for today.

∞ DT ∞

 

djtConsulting Brand
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.

Another Look!

letting go of self-will and ego 252 words ➥ Sunday, October 3, 2004 by: donnot
α living in harmony Ω 342 words ➥ Monday, October 3, 2005 by: donnot
∞ when my ideas, my desires, my demands take first place in my life, ∞ 388 words ➥ Tuesday, October 3, 2006 by: donnot
α self-will reflects my reliance on ego. The only thing that will free me from self-will ω 514 words ➥ Wednesday, October 3, 2007 by: donnot
μ addiction and self-will go hand in hand, unmanageability is a product of my self-will μ 285 words ➥ Friday, October 3, 2008 by: donnot
± i am learning to consult spiritual principles, not my selfish desires, in making decisions ± 675 words ➥ Saturday, October 3, 2009 by: donnot
§ i find that i lead a richer, happier, and much fuller life § 370 words ➥ Sunday, October 3, 2010 by: donnot
† my ego, once so large and dominant, can now take a back seat † 472 words ➥ Monday, October 3, 2011 by: donnot
∫ today, i seek freedom from ego and the conflicts generated by self-will ∫ 704 words ➥ Wednesday, October 3, 2012 by: donnot
¤ today, living on self-will can make my life ¤ 501 words ➥ Friday, October 3, 2014 by: donnot
⊗ losing self will ⊗ 525 words ➥ Saturday, October 3, 2015 by: donnot
✋ freedom from ego ✌ 579 words ➥ Monday, October 3, 2016 by: donnot
🍎 the fullness 🍏 685 words ➥ Tuesday, October 3, 2017 by: donnot
🤯 excluding myself 🤫 462 words ➥ Wednesday, October 3, 2018 by: donnot
😎 acting on 😎 498 words ➥ Thursday, October 3, 2019 by: donnot
😠 living in harmony 😣 240 words ➥ Saturday, October 3, 2020 by: donnot
😃 my selfish desires 😉 186 words ➥ Sunday, October 3, 2021 by: donnot
😈 my ideas, 😉 438 words ➥ Monday, October 3, 2022 by: donnot
🏳 surrendering 🏳 544 words ➥ Tuesday, October 3, 2023 by: donnot
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 2

3) With all the sharpness of the Way of Heaven, it injures not; with
all the doing in the way of the sage he does not strive.