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- This topic has 79 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 1 day, 16 hours ago by
Roberta.
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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
Roberta -
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