The Guest House

Old 04-24-2014, 09:27 AM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
The Guest House

I'm learning my emotions are natural and okay. My usual response is to avoid them and tuck them away. I'm getting better, but have a long way to go.


---------------------------------

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

- Rumi
Mango blast is offline  
Old 04-24-2014, 09:41 AM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Member
 
CodeJob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Mmmmmm
Posts: 3,178
Thanks for posting this poem. I have a difficult time feeling my feelings. I don't rust emotions and I stuff them!
CodeJob is offline  
Old 04-24-2014, 10:40 AM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 2,066
I like this poem. I view the range of emotions as peaks and valleys. You can't have highs without having lows. The birth of children, sun on your face during a summer vacation, getting a pay raise or praise for a job well done. Those things wouldn't feel as good if everyday was all sprinkles, lollipops and rainbows. You need struggles and angst and sorrow to make joy, glee and excitement feel as good as it does. I'm trying to tell myself that after this alcoholic struggle phase that I'll never take another good day for granted and that I'll even be grateful for the bad days too.
Stung is offline  
Old 04-24-2014, 11:20 AM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
Originally Posted by Stung View Post
I view the range of emotions as peaks and valleys. You can't have highs without having lows. The birth of children, sun on your face during a summer vacation, getting a pay raise or praise for a job well done. Those things wouldn't feel as good if everyday was all sprinkles, lollipops and rainbows. You need struggles and angst and sorrow to make joy, glee and excitement feel as good as it does. I'm trying to tell myself that after this alcoholic struggle phase that I'll never take another good day for granted and that I'll even be grateful for the bad days too.
Thank you so much for this! I really appreciate it.
Mango blast is offline  
Old 04-24-2014, 06:52 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Right here, right now!
Posts: 3,424
I have had stretch of my recovery that I need to read this poem multiple times a day.

I am a living testament that it does get easier.
LifeRecovery is offline  
Old 05-04-2014, 08:01 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
I've been very uneasy today in that I don't know how to accept a normal, nice day.

I've been trying to tamp it down. Meditation and prayer would work for a while and would have worked better if I'd spent more time and did them more often... but then I just remembered another option is to accept it as a valid feeling and welcome it. Perhaps doing that will clear the way for other feelings when they arrive, instead of having the unease fight against things like happiness or sadness.

It was a good day, but all along it seemed hard because I was fighting against this. Instead of telling myself "don't feel this way", it's okay to welcome new feelings. To let myself be off balance, give myself time to adjust and accept this as a part of my journey.
Mango blast is offline  
Old 01-02-2015, 02:28 PM
  # 7 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
*bump*

Anger is okay, it's natural. So is fear, and laughter and happiness and sadness. My New Year's resolution is to print this poem and frame it!
Mango blast is offline  
Old 01-02-2015, 04:03 PM
  # 8 (permalink)  
Member
 
NYCDoglvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 6,262
My sponsor offered great advice about emotions: "Don't fight them, don't feed them, accept them". Like so many others I was very self-critical of feelings and learned they're all ok. Accepting them made getting through the emotions I didn't want so much easier. Just understanding that all feelings change helped. Thanks for the lovely poem.
NYCDoglvr is offline  
Old 05-18-2015, 08:33 PM
  # 9 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
"Don't fight them, don't feed them, accept them."

Thank you. That also helps a lot. When you posted it, and even more tonight.
Mango blast is offline  
Old 11-05-2017, 09:32 AM
  # 10 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
Bump.
Mango blast is offline  
Old 11-05-2017, 10:34 AM
  # 11 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 773
Thank you for bumping it - I have not seen it before, a good one 😊
Nata1980 is offline  
Old 11-16-2017, 11:52 AM
  # 12 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
The more we think a certain way, the stronger the neural pathways become.
The more often I'm open to feeling all my emotions, acknowledging and welcoming them (as opposed to ignoring/stuffing them), the easier it becomes... new pathways in my brain are being strengthened. Vocalizing this helps, too!

I'm thankful for healing, for the fluidity of life.
Mango blast is offline  
Old 11-17-2017, 07:24 PM
  # 13 (permalink)  
Member
 
spiderqueen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 565
Thank you for bumping; this poem was a profound inspiration to me when I broke off my relationship with XABF back in 2013, and tried for a while to run away from the "crowd of sorrows" that were my emotions.

When I finally fully accepted the grief, loss, shame, regret and all the accompanying waves of pain and let them wash over me, I felt empty, but cleansed and ready to begin again.

Indeed I was "cleared out" for unimaginable new delights - and have been able to recognize and receive them with gratitude.

I hope others can take comfort in this beautiful poem tonight!

SQ
spiderqueen is offline  
Old 11-18-2017, 08:20 PM
  # 14 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Western US
Posts: 8,882
This is a favorite of mine too. I need to meditate more as I feel this is the time that I let the emotional-whatever wash through me.

Today I had a meeting with my lovely but dysfunctional FOO and our also lovely but dysfunctional ROO (religion of origin ? Not sure that is a thing). I like to be the nice good guy in situations but the meeting made me angry at many ways my church is messed up. I've been waiting to send emails about this meeting as I have a tumult of angry/judgy/negative feelings around it.

So with y'alls support I am inviting in all the angry/judgy/negative feelings along with the angry/judgy/negative feelings ABOUT these feelings - irk.

Being human is so messy.
Bekindalways is online now  
Old 11-30-2017, 10:59 PM
  # 15 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
Originally Posted by Stung View Post
I like this poem. I view the range of emotions as peaks and valleys. You can't have highs without having lows. The birth of children, sun on your face during a summer vacation, getting a pay raise or praise for a job well done. Those things wouldn't feel as good if everyday was all sprinkles, lollipops and rainbows. You need struggles and angst and sorrow to make joy, glee and excitement feel as good as it does. I'm trying to tell myself that after this alcoholic struggle phase that I'll never take another good day for granted and that I'll even be grateful for the bad days too.
Re-quote... this is really striking a chord in me lately.
Mango blast is offline  
Old 01-11-2018, 01:58 PM
  # 16 (permalink)  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,281
Interesting feelings and emotions coming to visit my heart, my inner self today. Quieter, gentler ones...
Mango blast is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:07 AM.