Follow Your Heart
In the words of Marcus Kincaid from Pandora, "It's a fine day, full of opportunity!"
I've been playing Borderlands 2 with my brother Isaac. The first few games really were beautiful enigmas that seemed to have been spent so quickly.
In any case, Isaac has been playing the psycho, and I've been playing the mechromancer. Among many other skills, the psycho sets himself on fire to attack enemies.
The mechromancer has a pet robot that shoots lasers and creates explosions by clapping his hands. It's beautiful stuff <3
In other news, I've been pushing forward toward establishing myself as a private, independent tutor. I believe I may have my first student! It's definitely exciting, but I'm not going to hold my breath or anything.
I have learned so very many lessons in this recent season. One of the best I'd say has been learning how to get over obstacles.
When I say "get over," I'm not even talking about surmounting them; I'm only saying letting go of the emotions that swell up. Rather regularly, I've encountered some kind of setback or unforeseen problem. More and more, I'm developing the capacity to say, "Well, that didn't work. What's next?"
I emailed schools; one person responded saying that schools can't recommend any one tutor.
I went to libraries; almost all of them said they only post non-profit information.
Recently, a new friend offered to help me craft some materials for advertising myself. I texted her to confirm we'd be meeting up to work on stuff. She replied by saying she had forgotten an obligation and wouldn't be able to meet with me the rest of the week.
In each of these (and other) situations, a sudden grip clenched in my guts, saying that I'm foiled, that's it's a useless effort. Increasingly, I am able to say, "Well, crap. What's next?"
It's been fantastic!
In other but rather related news, I say, "follow your heart" a lot.
I have often told my students that when working on a problem. Instead of being told how to do things, they need to dive in and try something, even if it doesn't work.
Often merely as a joke, I'll tell friends or family to "follow your heart."
A few of my more critical acquaintances have acknowledged how bad of an idea that is (consider where our emotions typically take us).
However, it's just a dash more delicate than that. Hopefully, we can acknowledge that raw emotions — deep down, in and of themselves — are neutral, neither good nor bad. It is commonly accepted that what one does with them makes them moral or immoral.
If this is the case, every emotion can be used for good or for ill; most of what determines the outcome is one's trajectory, one's objectives.
In other words, we don't need to bridle emotions. We don't need to stifle our hearts. Rather, we need to align with what is good, chase after what is right, search for what is admirable, commit to what is true, yearn for what is lovely, value what is pure, and admire what is noble. (Yes, I stole a bit from Philippians.)
Then we can follow our hearts with confidence and safety. This of course isn't perfect; we're not perfect; our choices won't be perfect. Still, making no good choices is about as bad as making bad choices.
In other words, we don't need to be taught how to control our emotions. Rather, we need to be taught how to desire what is good. I wrote a beautiful sketch of it when I was thinking about my water elementals.
She talks not of control but of trust. She acknowledges the occasional necessity of control to protect us from ourselves, but she still presses for the greater joy of a freedom that seeks after goodness.
So follow your heart. First and foremost, seek after truth, then follow your heart. First and foremost, desire what is right, then follow your heart. First and foremost, yearn for purity, then follow your heart.
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| "No refunds!" |
I've been playing Borderlands 2 with my brother Isaac. The first few games really were beautiful enigmas that seemed to have been spent so quickly.
In any case, Isaac has been playing the psycho, and I've been playing the mechromancer. Among many other skills, the psycho sets himself on fire to attack enemies.
The mechromancer has a pet robot that shoots lasers and creates explosions by clapping his hands. It's beautiful stuff <3
In other news, I've been pushing forward toward establishing myself as a private, independent tutor. I believe I may have my first student! It's definitely exciting, but I'm not going to hold my breath or anything.
I have learned so very many lessons in this recent season. One of the best I'd say has been learning how to get over obstacles.
When I say "get over," I'm not even talking about surmounting them; I'm only saying letting go of the emotions that swell up. Rather regularly, I've encountered some kind of setback or unforeseen problem. More and more, I'm developing the capacity to say, "Well, that didn't work. What's next?"
I emailed schools; one person responded saying that schools can't recommend any one tutor.
I went to libraries; almost all of them said they only post non-profit information.
Recently, a new friend offered to help me craft some materials for advertising myself. I texted her to confirm we'd be meeting up to work on stuff. She replied by saying she had forgotten an obligation and wouldn't be able to meet with me the rest of the week.
In each of these (and other) situations, a sudden grip clenched in my guts, saying that I'm foiled, that's it's a useless effort. Increasingly, I am able to say, "Well, crap. What's next?"
It's been fantastic!
In other but rather related news, I say, "follow your heart" a lot.
I have often told my students that when working on a problem. Instead of being told how to do things, they need to dive in and try something, even if it doesn't work.
Often merely as a joke, I'll tell friends or family to "follow your heart."
A few of my more critical acquaintances have acknowledged how bad of an idea that is (consider where our emotions typically take us).
However, it's just a dash more delicate than that. Hopefully, we can acknowledge that raw emotions — deep down, in and of themselves — are neutral, neither good nor bad. It is commonly accepted that what one does with them makes them moral or immoral.
If this is the case, every emotion can be used for good or for ill; most of what determines the outcome is one's trajectory, one's objectives.
In other words, we don't need to bridle emotions. We don't need to stifle our hearts. Rather, we need to align with what is good, chase after what is right, search for what is admirable, commit to what is true, yearn for what is lovely, value what is pure, and admire what is noble. (Yes, I stole a bit from Philippians.)
Then we can follow our hearts with confidence and safety. This of course isn't perfect; we're not perfect; our choices won't be perfect. Still, making no good choices is about as bad as making bad choices.
In other words, we don't need to be taught how to control our emotions. Rather, we need to be taught how to desire what is good. I wrote a beautiful sketch of it when I was thinking about my water elementals.
She talks not of control but of trust. She acknowledges the occasional necessity of control to protect us from ourselves, but she still presses for the greater joy of a freedom that seeks after goodness.
So follow your heart. First and foremost, seek after truth, then follow your heart. First and foremost, desire what is right, then follow your heart. First and foremost, yearn for purity, then follow your heart.
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