tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221463968958795928.post1477138947319226769..comments2024-01-10T19:32:10.315-06:00Comments on Crossing Nebraska: The Self That Is Not OtherMark Robert Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17076744028132663843noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221463968958795928.post-90902636497237291462011-07-05T11:38:46.695-05:002011-07-05T11:38:46.695-05:00Thank you for reading, Samsara!Thank you for reading, Samsara!Mark Robert Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17076744028132663843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221463968958795928.post-71661809101185353042011-07-01T11:53:18.463-05:002011-07-01T11:53:18.463-05:00Thanks Maku. Great stuff as always :-)Thanks Maku. Great stuff as always :-)Samsarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17926294218082737569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221463968958795928.post-33952411026021749702011-06-29T17:48:48.528-05:002011-06-29T17:48:48.528-05:00Hello Bob. Yes, that outlook on life does seem lik...Hello Bob. Yes, that outlook on life does seem like a good one. I'll have to check out the entire essay. I think that even periods of "stuckness" can be times during which deep work is taking place within the psyche. Thanks!Mark Robert Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17076744028132663843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221463968958795928.post-58672528890100608922011-06-26T12:35:34.588-05:002011-06-26T12:35:34.588-05:00Maku, another thoughtful post! Whereas, your previ...Maku, another thoughtful post! Whereas, your previous ones have been more theoretical, i.e, the ones on D.O., this one is more applied but using the concepts gained from the earlier posts. Apropos to Kristin's comment, Maku and I were just discussing Malcom Gladwell's essay on Late Bloomers in his new book, "What The Dog Saw." Sometimes it can take a long time for us to discover our talents. According to Gladwell, based on his research on creative late bloomers like Cezanne,they have a guiding vision or sense of what they are or what they want to do and sometimes, their early work falls short of the ideal (hence they are considered "failures")but they keep working away and eventually achieve their ideal. They "fail" early because they are still in the experimentation stage. In Gladwell's interpretation, however, they are not failing but making progress towards their goal. He says we should take away from this a revised notion of what constitutes genius. I suggest we can also apply this to our lifework, whatever we take that to be.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523909418215815910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221463968958795928.post-8527426908250151242011-06-26T11:28:33.686-05:002011-06-26T11:28:33.686-05:00I hear you, Kristen! Please don't take this as...I hear you, Kristen! Please don't take this as a flippant response, but life is just life. At different times, though, we label life as having direction, not having direction, being stuck, etc. Oftentimes those labels are selected after mercilessly comparing ourselves to others who are so much more together, successful, and focused, blah, blah, blah. Enjoy the fact that during zazen all of those labels and comparisons fade into the background!<br /><br />Actualizing the self that is not other need not look like some grand, and spectacular thing. Are you being kind to the people that you come in contact with? Is your aspiration pointed in a positive direction? Are you trying to think about all beings and the environment when you have a decision to make? Only you can be the daughter that you are, the sister that you are, the pet owner that you are, the employee that you are. How do you go about being that self that is not other?<br /><br />You haven't used the word 'stuck' but, just in case you are feeling it, I suggest that you really, really feel it. Where do you feel it? When did you last feel it? Explore it. Revel in it. Get to know it intimately - then drop it off at the local Goodwill. Somebody will be able to make use of it. ;D Is there fear associated with or causing that stuckness? What is the nature of it and what would the result be if your very worst fear came to pass?<br /><br />I'm actually kind of familiar with that feeling of stuckness. Can't you tell? I'm also familiar with the fact that feelings can have us feeling as though we're tied up tight in a straightjacket, and then, in the very next instant, they can simply dissipate into thin air.<br /><br />Congratulations on living mindfully and intentionally!<br /><br />Sincerely, MakuMark Robert Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17076744028132663843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9221463968958795928.post-39799893425072728902011-06-25T22:11:37.504-05:002011-06-25T22:11:37.504-05:00To me, it seems that the key to understanding this...To me, it seems that the key to understanding this concept is knowing what your motivations and talents are. So how much zazen does it take to figure that out? ;D I know I'll find my answers eventually, but from my current point of view, I can't see what direction my life is supposed to take.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com