Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Strategic Monk

Being Open is Not About Other People

Last updated on: March 27, 2012 at 5:55 am   by Greg Richardson

Being Open is Not About Other People 2012-03-27T05:55:09-08:00 Greg Richardson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

 

There are times when I do not feel like being open.

Sometimes it feels so much easier to keep my eyes closed, keep my mind closed, keep my heart closed. I may be tired or hurting, I may be discouraged, it may seem like it is just not that important. It may feel like I have been trying to break through a brick wall head first. It may feel like other people do not really deserve my being open to them.

It can be a challenge to see each day as brimming with possibilities. Sometimes it seems to make more sense just to give up.

Being open is a choice. My choice to be open, to other people and to possibilities, does not depend on my situation or any other outside factors. My choice to be open depends on me.

For a long time, I was not very open at all. I was very focused on having the right answers. One thing about having the right answer is that being open to other answers is not a strength. When you have the right answer, the other answers are wrong.

I realized that the life I was living, the person I was being, was not my true self. My focus, my need to have the right answers was a way of protecting myself. I protected myself by closing my true self off and being the person who had the right answer.

With time and effort, I am letting go of my false selves and becoming truly open.

Being open is a challenge. It takes work and guidance. I do not always feel like being open; it is always fascinating and filled with possibilities.

How are you being open today?

What are the possibilites you have missed until now?

[Image by Oberau-Online]

Blog

Leadership

Spiritual Practices

Previous Post



March 24, 2012

Good Things Take Time to Ferment

Next Post



March 28, 2012 Lent Reflection: Fear and Authenticity


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the Roman governor who sentenced Jesus to be crucified?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Agrippa Felix Pontius Pilate Herod

Related posts from Strategic Monk

Contemplative

How Are We Called to Live?: More About...

Strategic Monk

Contemplative

A Spiritual Practice of Reading: Join Us Online

Strategic Monk

Contemplative

Taking a Deep Breath, and Another: Finding Time...

Strategic Monk

Contemplative

Listening to Our Own Rhythms: When Will We...

Strategic Monk

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Contemplative

Handy Contemplative Practices for Political Spaces

A Spiritually Grounded Presence In order to bring a spiritually grounded presence...

Halloween: The Holiday of Loving Your Neighbor

All Hallows Eve Is Halloween the least Christian holiday in America, or...

Can Love Be Saved? Some Thoughts on the...

Happy Valentine's Day! I recently published a post on Patreon called Can...

"This Loving, Uniting Embrace": the Holy Ordinary

Today's guest post is by Mark Longhurst, author of The Holy Ordinary:...

How Are We Called to Live?: More About...

How Are We Called to Live? Many of us struggle with discerning...

A Spiritual Practice of Reading: Join Us Online

A Spiritual Practice of Reading A healthy spiritual practice of reading is...

view all Contemplative blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube