Snakes Be Sly Creatures
"The the moral of the story is that in and around the rooms of our heart, there are harmless old ropes lying on the floors and our fear starts to work on them and turns them into monsters, which keep us in the most impoverished places in our lives." ~John O'Donohue (from Love is the Only Antidote to Fear)
Wow!
Now-a-days, I see more and more how I was keeping myself, through fear of what is and what may be, in an ugly place but O'Donohue put in such a lovely way. I will attempt to keep that quote in my heart and give it strength.
So hard to break old habits that you don't even know are habits. Abnormal is normal until someone shines a light and tells you it is not. Giving power to something that has not, and may not ever happen is stealing from the present, which is all we really have.
May I, and may you, always recognize the difference between ropes and snakes.
Wow!
Now-a-days, I see more and more how I was keeping myself, through fear of what is and what may be, in an ugly place but O'Donohue put in such a lovely way. I will attempt to keep that quote in my heart and give it strength.
So hard to break old habits that you don't even know are habits. Abnormal is normal until someone shines a light and tells you it is not. Giving power to something that has not, and may not ever happen is stealing from the present, which is all we really have.May I, and may you, always recognize the difference between ropes and snakes.
I miss John O'Donohue's wisdom. He died much too young.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a favorite? I am trying to decide what to get next.
DeleteI loved his "Anam Cara" about Celtic spirituality. If you decide to read it, do try to get the audio version which he recorded so you can listen to his gorgeous Irish brogue!
DeleteIn fact, Linda, I possess an audio version of this on cassette (yes, that's how many years ago I bought it!) And as it happens, I'm looking to rehome it, so if you still own a cassette player and would like to have it, I'll gladly give it to you and will post it to you via mail. If you want it, just let me know your address by emailing me at shewhoseeks at gmail dot com.
Found him for the first time and am richer for it.
ReplyDeleteI have been fearful my whole life. Fear of my biological father and the fertilizated by my mother who had learned fear in her own life. I wish I was not but I can't find my way out. It is woven into who I am.
ReplyDeleteMy dear Birdie, I believe that I understand. Maybe not to the depths and certainly not exactly the same but certainly in how much it rules our decisions and reactions. I know that living in fear is no way to live and that little tiny bits of improvement add up over time.
DeleteMuch love in this walk we call life💜
My anxiety has been way over the top here lately. I wish I could get it back under control. I see "snakes" everywhere. I used to be a bad ass, take no shit kind of gal. Maybe it's past time for me to resurrect her. Thanks for giving me something to think about. RE: John O'Donohue-To Bless the Space Between Us is one of my favorite books.
ReplyDeleteI wish you power and peace today! and more tomorrow and more the next. Make that fist and take no shit!♥♥♥
DeleteFear is one of the most debilitating things. And it's often really hard to overcome.
ReplyDeleteI thought it would never get better. I worked and worked and felt like nothing changed. But little by little, I've seen small bits of improvement. Not a lot, but I'll take it.
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