Compassionate Listening

As the past few days have been immersed in practicing appreciation, what I have noticed is that all the people, events and experiences that SHOUT at me for the opposite have been showing up! Is that not what life does? We set an intention and then life presents opportunities to practice - and then practice again, with more gusto. Almost like a little test..."so, you really think you have embodied appreciation?...then what about this?"

What has revealed itself over the past couple of days has pressed me into more compassionate listening to my own heart. And, I have learned, what a challenge that can pose in the midst of what feels like self-judgment and non-acceptance of my own words and actions that may be in opposition to how I desire to show up as a spiritual be-ing having this human experience.

Recently I read the following quote which helped me soften my own spiritual journey: "As the fourth-century monk Marcarius emphasized, all improvement in spirituality is 'a matter of falling and getting up again, building something up and then being knocked down again.'" (From The Spirituality of Imperfection, by Ernest Kurtz.

So, I am now engaged in compassionate listening to myself. Listening with an inner to that still, soft voice of Spirit that is always comforting me - always loving me - always nurturing me - no matter what. And then my heart can open again as I begin the weekly practice of appreciation - both for my own life and the life experience of all those around me on this path toward loving Spirit.