Rumi, and More Rumi

If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?

-Rumi-

Many have appreciated the writings and wisdom of Rumi for centuries. Language is an amazing thing. Rumi wrote mostly in Persian, but the meaning is not lost in translation.

Words are translated in different languages and in different hearts. My interpretation of the quote above: If I get frustrated often when things don't go my way, if I lack acceptance of circumstances beyond my control, I miss opportunities to learn and grow. I become more dull rather than more polished. I shine less because a narrow mind didn't reach for the polishing cloth.

I see this in my job setting as well. Young people who are protected from disappointment, failure, and natural consequences begin to suffer the same dullness. It looks like lack of confidence and/or stress and anxiety. They don't believe they can handle difficult things because they weren't given their own polishing cloths. Here's the rub parents: Consider if you are regularly doing things for your child that they should be doing for themselves. (The above portion first appeared in this post.)

“Why do you stay in prison when the door is wide open?”

-Rumi-

Oh Rumi, how did you know? This captures how I held myself captive for so long. Stuck in unhelpful thought patterns. Stuck in “never enough.” and “less than.” Stuck in wrong-sized ego that only had its own best interest in mind, not my well-being and balance. Stuck in yesterday and tomorrow and forgetting today.

Practicing presence, tuning into at least some of my breaths, actively living gratefully, getting out of myself, being out in Nature; these all help me find the open door. And when I walk through that door, out of my self-imposed prison, wonderful and amazing things happen, usually on a small scale, but wonderful and amazing all the same.

Prison or open door? Which will I choose today? How about you?