Three Great Treasures

As I approach a new transition time in my life - from Nurse in Te Anau, New Zealand to Cook in Galena, Alaska...I conclude my month-long focus on rejuvenation and now move into a continued practice of living out the "Three Great Treasures" (Mercy, Frugality, Humility). This time of rejuvenation leading up to the transition has been amazing. I have really spent a lot of time focusing on my physical wellbeing and also doing some good soul-searching and emotional healing work which has brought me a lot of peace. I have slowed life right down and it's been a truly wonderful time. (Mind you, I took this time of rejuvenation WHILE working and volunteering, so I encourage you in this - you do NOT have to quit your job or stop attending to your daily activities in order to have some restful rejuvenation time....simply make it a habit to slow down and take time out of your day to reflect and do some of the work needed to heal - that might mean going for a long walk instead of watching a movie or calling a friend instead of reading that novel....These are simple things you can do while you are still attending to your daily schedule.)

As I move forward I keep in the forefront of my mind the concepts of Mercy, Frugality, and Humility. To me Mercy incorporates compassion and loving-kindness as well. It's about not giving that which is deserved - so if someone deserves your scorn or retribution etc., you are instead offering them loving-kindness, compassion, forgiveness etc.

Frugality is not referring to spending less money as such...but rather it's about living simply. In Wayne Dyer's book "Change your thoughts, change your life" he talks about the beauty that comes from living a simple life and how this attitude of being satisfied with less results in greater generosity towards others..."The less attached you are to your stuff, the easier it is to be generous; the more you cling to it, the more you feel you need, and the less concerned you are with the welfare of others".

Another beautiful treasure is Humility. To me, this is about having a heart open to serving others, it's about letting go of the Ego and the need to be elevated to a place of "success", and rather to be content to simply live each day loving and serving those around you.  Humility is also about recognizing the shared humanness that we have and the unity of our spirits with those around us - not believing ourselves to be somehow greater than, or even so very different to the person next to us. This is moving away from the ideas of separatism and division, and seeking more unity in life.

So, I leave you with these three treasures to ponder this week...How can you bring these concepts more to mind this week and how can you apply them more in your daily life? Who in your life do you need to show more mercy to? How can you live more simply and give more generously? When the Ego wants you to show how much knowledge you have, or wants you to dictate to someone else how they should be living their life - stop and take a breath and think about how you could maybe take a step back and live humbly in that moment.

*Just a wee side note that I may not be online that much over the next few months as internet connection is not fabulous in remote Alaska.

"May I be compassionate, gracious and humble and may loving-kindness and truth never leave me" ~ Namaste