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- This topic has 85 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 2 days, 7 hours ago by
anita.
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August 29, 2026 at 10:07 am #460706
anitaParticipantGood morning, Omyk 🙂
That you felt immediate relief when your position was renewed for a few years is very telling.
It’s unpleasant to not having been appreciated by the individuals with the power to hire or fire you.
But if you were truly appreciated by the people you served, those whose lives you positively touched, then it may make sense to stay in the current position rather than having to relocate and take a financial loss with a new, unfamiliar position.
I wonder in what ways the author of the spiritual teaching you were reading 2 hours ago was speaking directly to you 🤔
🌿 Anita
August 29, 2026 at 4:12 pm #460710
omykParticipantDear Roberta –
All best wishes to you as you mourn the 25th anniversary of your son’s father. Time seems to soften, but love is more powerful than time. IMHO, anyway. 🙂
I am teaching a course on Christian thought and our first reading is about Christian asceticism. One of the homilies is an exhortation on detachment and it was so powerful. The author’s message emphasizes gratitude for small things we may not even notice, like having feet that enable us to walk, and to understand that any possession we have in this world remains in this world at death. I felt like he was challenging me to re-evaluate my priorities, especially since the time remaining here could be short – we just don’t know.
Sincerely,
Omyk
August 29, 2026 at 4:20 pm #460711omykParticipantAnita,
Many thanks. The departmental vote to retain me was something of a validation, but the organization itself is still unstable. I still don’t trust my current higher up. Job security is year to year. The other opportunity that has come up for me could be better in some ways. I guess only time will.
I felt that the writer was challenging me to be grateful for the many things going write for me, but above all, to remain grounded in reality and not allow my imagination to shape the possibility of self sabotage. I felt like there was ancient wisdom in the writing and have been reflecting on it all day.
Sincerely,
Omyk
August 29, 2026 at 7:25 pm #460712anitaParticipantOmyk 🙂
You’re very welcome. You mentioned Christian asceticism in your reply to Roberta.
In simple language, as I understand it, it means choosing a very simple, disciplined way of living so a person can stay clear‑headed, humble, and focused on what truly matters.
It’s about letting go of excess — excess fear, excess comfort, excess imagination, excess ego — so the heart can stay steady and grounded.
Early Christians saw it as “training the soul,” like learning not to be pushed around by emotions or fantasies. It’s about not letting your inner world run away from reality.
I like that very much.
Applied to your situation, I suppose Christian asceticism would advise you to stay rooted in what is real and present, not in imagined disasters or future catastrophes. It would encourage you to notice the good that is actually happening — the vote of confidence, the new opportunity — without clinging to it or fearing its loss.
It would tell you to act with clarity rather than anxiety, to make decisions from steadiness and to trust that careful, grounded choices matter more than trying to control every possible outcome.
I want my soul trained this way more and more 🙂
Anita
August 30, 2026 at 1:41 am #460719
RobertaParticipantHi Omyk
I agree, my love for him is still here as it is for my late mum who’s 5th Anniversary was the other week 21 August. Unconditional love is not bound by time or space.
Those shift in mindsets can certainly wake us up to what we want to prioritize & how to do it.
I hope that your seminar touches the attendees in a positive way.
Best wishes
RobertaSeptember 4, 2026 at 1:06 pm #460805
AlessaParticipantHi Omyk
Wow, you’ve been through a lot recently. I’m glad that everything worked out with the surgery and the job (for now). My condolences once again, for the recent anniversary. 🩵 🙏
It sounds like you’re in a healthier place with your life now. 🩵
I love the focus on gratitude. I think it ties in very well with compassion. Recently I’ve been paying attention to the struggles of others. They could easily have been my struggles, in a different life. In a way, it makes me thankful for what I have.
I’m sure you’ll do great with your seminar. 😊
October 29, 2026 at 6:55 pm #461914omykParticipantGreetings,
Well, I am on the eve of starting this second position. My child is also on the precipice of a major transition and we have had a few difficulties at home. How did I respond to this stress?
I lost the patience to be still and sought to fill the void. I recently reconnected with an old flame, someone I like and appreciate, but with whom attempts at a lasting partnership failed a few times. I had no agenda and no expectations, and the evening ended with affection and promises of another attempt. There has been a lot of texting since then after almost a year of very little contact at all. It felt good and as I said, I genuinely like this person. I am trying hard to be self-aware, for lots of reasons. All of the change we have at home, the consequences of my past impulsiveness, and especially the sheer fact that there was no contact for a year which transitioned to several times a day. Some part of me has wondered if the feel good of attention is covering up sustainability of going all-in right away. My child was asking me about this and expressed concern when I admitted it was an old flame. They really challenged me to consider the wisdom of trying something that has failed yet again and wondered aloud if I am trying to cope with stress. I didn’t like hearing it, but my main disappointment is that I failed to be still. So I have another puzzle to solve and this is of my own doing, though I am remembering that I can slow down if I want.
I feel sheepish sharing this, especially since an invitation to just talk became something much more almost instantaneously.
Omyk
October 29, 2026 at 7:37 pm #461916anitaParticipantHey Omyk, good to read back from you 🙂
There’s nothing wrong with trying to fill an emotional void by trying again with an old flame. Maybe it will work this time. One text, one date, one day at a time.
🤔 Sounds like your daughter is minding something that’s not her business to mind..?
Anita
October 29, 2026 at 9:52 pm #461921anitaParticipantHey Omyk:
After rereading your post, I think I may have been unfair to your daughter. It sounds like she wasn’t inserting herself into your business uninvited, but responding thoughtfully to something you shared with her. From what you wrote, her questions seem to have come from concern, not judgment.
What stood out to me is that you don’t seem worried only about whether this relationship will work. You seem to be questioning the timing and your own motives. With so much change happening in your life right now, you’re wisely asking yourself whether you’re moving toward this woman because she’s right for you, because the connection is genuinely meaningful, or because the attention and comfort feel good during a stressful time.
The good news is that those possibilities aren’t mutually exclusive. You can enjoy reconnecting with her and still slow things down enough to learn what this relationship actually is. As you said, you can slow down if you want.
Anita
October 30, 2026 at 11:09 am #461930omykParticipantThanks for your thoughtful response, Anita. I need some time and space to reflect, pray, and breathe. I will take both the time and the space. I appreciate you.
Omyk
October 30, 2026 at 12:34 pm #461932anitaParticipantYou are welcome, Omyk. I appreciate you too.. and I just sent a prayer for your well-being 🌷🙏
Anita
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