Stuart Smalley

I felt like Stuart Smalley while completing the Universal Loving Kindness exercise this week (I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and Gosh darn it people like me!). Repeating the phrases from the exercise over a ten minute period, at first, felt like my daily affirmation as opposed to meditation.

May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.

May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.

May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering.

May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness.

However, once I began to relax and try to think with these positive thoughts I found that I was able to experience the benefit of this exercise. I can see the point of these exercises as they are designed to change your mind-set and reframe your thoughts towards a positive vibe not only for yourself, but to send those thoughts out to others. After a few minutes with the exercise it instead reminded me of the firefighter’s prayer:

When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage;

Give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age.

Help me embrace a little child before it is too late

Or save an older person from the horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout,

and quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me,

to guard my every neighbor and protect his property.

And if, according to my fate, I am to lose my life;

Please bless with your protecting hand

my children and my wife.

 Personal Assessment:

“What aspect of my life—psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, or worldly—is the source of difficulty and suffering?”

I find that for me personally the most difficult aspect of my life is my interpersonal relationship with my wife. I think that communication and understanding are areas which I need to work on more diligently and truly focus on making effective and positive change. I think that I need to try to see things from both sides of the problem more frequently. However, it is often quite difficult to remove yourself from the situation effectively. I find myself frustrated by the failure and feel like there has to be a “fix” for it that doesn’t involve completely giving up my own happiness and feeling of satisfaction with my life. There needs to be a distinct balance between responsibility and enjoyment, and it has become quite difficult to achieve a balance of late. My plan moving forward is to try to do some serious soul searching in order to discover what it is I truly value, and what it is that is most important in my own life. I also need to try to focus on my own sense of tranquility and inner happiness as opposed to always trying to please others.