Finding Security

May 30, 2013

Some anxiety is natural in this realm. When we are away from the One who sustains us, of course there is going to be some anxiety. And when we feel anxious, we immediately begin to seek security in various ways. We seek to have enough money, be esteemed by others, have all of our tasks completed, make sure our loved ones are healthy and safe.

Think about what you are actually afraid of. Ultimately, you are probably afraid of being destroyed or being condemned. I know that sounds drastic, but at ...  Keep reading

Your Emotional World

May 24, 2013

We should pay attention to our emotions. It is our emotions that are the barometer for where our hearts are and where we are going. These subtle inner shifts in our feeling system are what the Spirit uses to shape us and teach us. It is problematic that we are always trying to dull important emotions and in that way, render the work of the Spirit ineffective. Our pathology springs from our attempts to always dumb down, lock up and forget about the myriad emotions that have been given to us to ...  Keep reading

The Overstress

May 22, 2013

It feels like we live our lives bouncing between these two poles: stress and rest, one necessitating the other until the pendulum swinging bores you into oblivion. Many of us live our lives just at the edge of plunging headlong into fatigue and overexhaustion, until we are forced to rest, whether by nervous breakdown or overdone emotional release.

I believe there may be a better way to live. Those who have endured trauma have a lot to teach us about how to handle stress. When trauma presents itself, ...  Keep reading

Believing

March 25, 2013

It is important that we believe in people. I mean, we should not put our trust solely in people, but people benefit from our faith in them. We also benefit when we trust others. It is far too easy to get cynical. When people wrong you, or just appear different than you, it is easy to write them off. But our differences are what stretch us and make us grow. If you write people off, you are missing your opportunity to grow.

Everything around you in the world will convince you not to have faith. Your ...  Keep reading

Ol’ Brennan on Contemplative Prayer

January 24, 2013

“And do not evaluate, measure, or judge your periods of contemplative prayer. In our achievement-oriented society, we’ll probably begin to pray with a superficial concern for results in a futile attempt to discern if our investment of time and energy was worth it. Did it produce any luminous insight or any extraordinary experience? That kind of spiritual materialism will disappear, the ego will be purified, and self-consciousness will fade through the practice of daily prayer.

“Just ...  Keep reading

Thoughtfulness vs. Thoughtlessness

January 20, 2013

There is this continuum between thoughtfulness and impulsivity (or not thinking) on which people naturally land. And, as with most continuums, being able to strike a balance is good. I believe it is good to have a little of both thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness in your life. You should be able to step back and have some constructive thought about where your life is going and “what it all means,” for instance, but too much of that becomes narcissism and/or neuroticism. This ...  Keep reading

My Weakness Defines Me

December 13, 2012

It is my weakness that defines me, not my strength. I have spent a lot of my time here on earth believing the hype: that if I just will do the right things, then I will “feel right.” But the cold, hard truth hits me every morning – that I will always struggle and be a lovely little mess. Paul called it his “thorn.” He had a struggle that would not go away, even though he pleaded for it to go and he was ready for it to go.

It seems apparent from this ...  Keep reading

Legacy

November 25, 2012

I’ve been thinking a little about “legacy” lately, since I am in my 30s and all. And my mom just turned 60 and we are having another little child who is a girl. She is a wonderful gift, but one of the things about having all girls is that your “name” doesn’t get carried on through your own family. I mean there are other little Ybarras which grow up to be big Ybarras and the name will live on, but not from my immediate family.

That is okay. The whole idea of legacy ...  Keep reading