I think generosity is the heart of emotional flexibility. Physical flexibility improves the fluidity of my movement, allows me to flow more symbiotically with life’s currents, and helps fend off injuries related to brittleness. Generosity brings analogous qualities to my feelings, reactions, and moods.
A readiness to share what I have, whether material, relational, or spiritual, keeps my soul pliable and supple. It seems to increase my capacity to “roll with the punches”, and ease my tendency to jump to conclusions.
Kindness is among generosity’s most beautiful faces; softness to another soul. Sometimes it’s harder to share than cash! But its power to radiate blessing is remarkable – even small acts of kindness can emit wellbeing in all directions.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Showing posts with label Emotional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emotional. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
Joy (emotional strength)
“This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:9b
I pulled these words out of their context, which is not a recommended practice. However, I believe the heart of what Nehemiah stated here is a universally transferable truth. The joy of the Lord is your strength…
In my experience, there is a sense – maybe more than a sense… maybe it’s closer to an assurance – of “all-rightness” that seems to be related to the presence* of God. It is not always rational or even explainable; sometimes it is flatly counterintuitive. But it’s as though the Creator smiles, touches, communicates, “It’s going to be alright.”
Sometimes joy violates my sense of justice. I might attenuate my celebration of someone’s good fortune because it strikes me as dissonant to their choices. This embarrasses me; I’m committed to learning a better, more generous-hearted way.
Sometimes I abstain from joy because I don’t think it’s congruent with my circumstances. I recognize my ridiculousness in this, but can still be very stubborn about it. Joy isn’t a wage – it’s a gift. Once received, it enlivens and empowers the rest of life.
*God's Presence is a huge topic unto itself -- one I'm not up to tackling today...
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
I pulled these words out of their context, which is not a recommended practice. However, I believe the heart of what Nehemiah stated here is a universally transferable truth. The joy of the Lord is your strength…
In my experience, there is a sense – maybe more than a sense… maybe it’s closer to an assurance – of “all-rightness” that seems to be related to the presence* of God. It is not always rational or even explainable; sometimes it is flatly counterintuitive. But it’s as though the Creator smiles, touches, communicates, “It’s going to be alright.”
Sometimes joy violates my sense of justice. I might attenuate my celebration of someone’s good fortune because it strikes me as dissonant to their choices. This embarrasses me; I’m committed to learning a better, more generous-hearted way.
Sometimes I abstain from joy because I don’t think it’s congruent with my circumstances. I recognize my ridiculousness in this, but can still be very stubborn about it. Joy isn’t a wage – it’s a gift. Once received, it enlivens and empowers the rest of life.
*God's Presence is a huge topic unto itself -- one I'm not up to tackling today...
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, October 02, 2006
Peace (& Humor)
Peace is elemental to Emotional Balance; in fact, it fundamentally impacts the health of the whole person.
“A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
The ancient Hebrew idea of shalom connoted wholeness and well-being: physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual. It’s this sort of peace that Jesus promised his followers in John 14:27.
For me, one way of cultivating peace is to practice nonviolence: interior (toward my own soul), interpersonal (toward other souls), and environmental (toward creation’s soul).
And I’ve found that the power of Humor mustn’t be underestimated in these pursuits. Laughter is not a luxury; it’s impossible to engage the fullness of life without it.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
“A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
The ancient Hebrew idea of shalom connoted wholeness and well-being: physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual. It’s this sort of peace that Jesus promised his followers in John 14:27.
For me, one way of cultivating peace is to practice nonviolence: interior (toward my own soul), interpersonal (toward other souls), and environmental (toward creation’s soul).
And I’ve found that the power of Humor mustn’t be underestimated in these pursuits. Laughter is not a luxury; it’s impossible to engage the fullness of life without it.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Vision
Vision is cultivated in a context of Hope, and connects directly to Emotional Endurance [see table].
“Without a Vision is a people made naked”
Proverbs 29:18a (Young’s Literal Translation)
I had no idea that this was the literal translation! In the ancient context, nakedness meant poverty and shame; there was nothing erotically provocative about it.
In this proverb, vision obviously refers to something more than physical sight: it’s the ability to look into the future and see the prospect of joy, abundance, accomplishment, meaning…
This sort of vision has to do with attending to invisible things. I believe that every human is given something that only she/he can see; an internal treasure that needs to be externalized – the intangible made tangible. It relates to incarnation. Each of us is to champion what’s been entrusted on a spiritual level – sowing, cultivating, harvesting, distributing… to the enriching of our relational circles.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
“Without a Vision is a people made naked”
Proverbs 29:18a (Young’s Literal Translation)
I had no idea that this was the literal translation! In the ancient context, nakedness meant poverty and shame; there was nothing erotically provocative about it.
In this proverb, vision obviously refers to something more than physical sight: it’s the ability to look into the future and see the prospect of joy, abundance, accomplishment, meaning…
This sort of vision has to do with attending to invisible things. I believe that every human is given something that only she/he can see; an internal treasure that needs to be externalized – the intangible made tangible. It relates to incarnation. Each of us is to champion what’s been entrusted on a spiritual level – sowing, cultivating, harvesting, distributing… to the enriching of our relational circles.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Hope
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.”
Psalm 42:11 (21st Century King James Version)
Hope is integral to Emotional Endurance [see table]. What feeds my heart’s fire if not hope? And what distinguishes hoping from wishing? For me, hope is the belief that God is planting goodness in the future so that it’s already taking root and blooming as we step into each unfolding day.
Here's an ancient prophetic poem that was composed by a person who understood the valley of deep trouble. His words have the heartbeat of authenticity.
“There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:15 (New International Version)
First, God promises to restore vineyards, which represent abundance and gladness. Then follows an image that I find profoundly moving: God will transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope. The lowest, most disturbing circumstance becomes the threshold to a good future.
The second sentence begins with the response of the people, which is carefree singing: a picture of rejuvenation and festivity. The closing line references release from slavery, and the long-awaited freedom to engage life.
That’s what this Fourfold Fitness thing is about, really [see intro]. I don’t need to be a slave to disconnection and disintegration; by God’s grace, I’m free to cultivate practices that increase my capacity for living.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Psalm 42:11 (21st Century King James Version)
Hope is integral to Emotional Endurance [see table]. What feeds my heart’s fire if not hope? And what distinguishes hoping from wishing? For me, hope is the belief that God is planting goodness in the future so that it’s already taking root and blooming as we step into each unfolding day.
Here's an ancient prophetic poem that was composed by a person who understood the valley of deep trouble. His words have the heartbeat of authenticity.
“There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:15 (New International Version)
First, God promises to restore vineyards, which represent abundance and gladness. Then follows an image that I find profoundly moving: God will transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope. The lowest, most disturbing circumstance becomes the threshold to a good future.
The second sentence begins with the response of the people, which is carefree singing: a picture of rejuvenation and festivity. The closing line references release from slavery, and the long-awaited freedom to engage life.
That’s what this Fourfold Fitness thing is about, really [see intro]. I don’t need to be a slave to disconnection and disintegration; by God’s grace, I’m free to cultivate practices that increase my capacity for living.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Fourfold Fitness Table
Strength | Flexibility | Endurance | Balance | |
Spiritual | Integrity | Humility Transformation | Courage Loyalty Perseverance | Grounding Beauty Upright |
Cognitive | Creativity | Teachable Broadminded | Curiosity Honesty Follow-Through | Wisdom Awareness |
Emotional | Joy Gratitude | Generosity Kindness Adaptable | Hope Vision | Peace Humor |
Physical | Muscle | Motion | Stamina | Agility Rest |
(Financial) | Income | Giving / Spending | Savings | Budget |
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Fourfold Fitness
The soul’s topography won’t fit within the languages of tongue or pen. It’s like trying to capture the vastness and detail of a natural landscape in the frame of a photograph.
But knowing the terrain of our own depths is necessary for fully engaged living. Some people have an innate knack for soul navigation; others need a map and compass.
I use a four by four grid, where the intersections create “intention zones” integral to my joie de vivre. The four components of my humanness are: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual. The four key attributes of fitness (IMHO) are: Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, and Balance.
The next few soul-friending posts will describe some of my intention zones. I hope there will be ideas and inspirations for you. However, I hasten to underscore that it’s just a map I’ve sketched to help make sense of my personal topography; it’s not intended to be comprehensive, absolute, or directly transferable. But maybe it’ll provoke you to undertake your own “depth cartography”.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
But knowing the terrain of our own depths is necessary for fully engaged living. Some people have an innate knack for soul navigation; others need a map and compass.
I use a four by four grid, where the intersections create “intention zones” integral to my joie de vivre. The four components of my humanness are: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual. The four key attributes of fitness (IMHO) are: Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, and Balance.
The next few soul-friending posts will describe some of my intention zones. I hope there will be ideas and inspirations for you. However, I hasten to underscore that it’s just a map I’ve sketched to help make sense of my personal topography; it’s not intended to be comprehensive, absolute, or directly transferable. But maybe it’ll provoke you to undertake your own “depth cartography”.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Thursday, April 13, 2006
absence
“The great temptation of the ministry is to celebrate only the presence of Jesus while forgetting his absence. Often the minister is most concerned to make people glad and to create an atmosphere of ‘I’m okay, you’re okay.’ But in this way everything gets filled up and there is no empty space left for the affirmation of our basic lack of fulfillment. In this way the presence of Jesus is enforced without connection with his absence. Almost inevitably this leads to artificial joy and superficial happiness. […] If we deny the pain of his absence we will not be able to taste his sustaining presence either.”
Henri Nouwen
From The Living Reminder
Henri Nouwen
From The Living Reminder
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