A few years ago, I had two car accidents in a year’s time, and my back suffered from the impacts. Since then, long periods of sitting had been a great challenge for me. To cope with the discomfort of sitting, I had to get up, walk around, and constantly change positions.
After a while, I was able to return to doing light exercise, and I discovered that this was a great relief for my back.
For this reason, I have had to organize my time when I am working at my desk, so I allow time lapses to get up. My back asks me to get up, but sometimes my mind wants to continue. There are times when I am so focused, that I do not want to get up and walk. It is an internal tension that I have had to deal with.
As time goes on, exercise has been a constant companion. My back complains me when I do not do it.
I remember very clearly one week in particular when I had extra work. This meant that I had to sit at my desk for longer than usual.
I tried to organize my schedule so that I could also get some exercise, and be able to spend the necessary time working. And it worked for a few days, until it didn’t.
After four days of intense work, my body was more tired. I gave myself time and did some exercise with the intention of continue working. Oh surprise, after that it was my mind that couldn’t take it anymore.
Unpleasant thoughts began to emerge. My mind questioned me about everything and about everything. Why do I do what I do, why don’t I do what I don’t do, and even how could I believe that what I did or didn’t do was going to work.
Thoughts so harsh, that if someone else had said them out loud to me, I would have put a stop to them.
Has it ever happened to you that you criticize yourself as if you enjoyed it?
It took me a while to put a stop to it. I stood up, walked around a bit, and asked myself:
-Who is condemning me?
Sure, I set my own goals, but there was no tragedy involved. I realized that at that moment I needed a break.
I took a deep breath, and started cheering myself up. Hahaha.
At a different time, I wouldn’t have been able to stop my self-criticism. I would have kept going and going and going. That was ordinary for me.
What is ordinary for you?
In words that don’t seem to make sense, Jesus asks his disciples:
-If you love those who love you, what’s so extraordinary about it?
Hmmm.
A subtle way of being invited from being ordinary, to be extraordinary.
I invite you to remember what your habitual way of speaking to yourself, of treating yourself is. How much do you love yourself, forgive yourself, or judge and condemn yourself?
For you, what is your ordinary way of being? What would be your extraordinary way of being?
And as a bonus, Jesus gives us the golden rule:
-Do not do to others what you do not want done to you.
Because as we do it with ourselves, we will do it with others.
The invitation is to love, forgive, and give.
Where do you and I practice loving, forgiving, and giving? What if the mirror were a good place to start.
So, how about starting with yourself? What is it that you do not want done to you? How do you treat yourself?
Doing what is expected, what is extraordinary about it?
Do you want to be extraordinary?
It seems that Jesus gives us the way in which we want to be measured. With what reference would you like to be measured?
If the Spirit inspires you, ask Jesus the carpenter how you can practice loving, forgiving, and giving with yourself. And perhaps, you will discover that you begin to love, forgive, and give to others in an extraordinary way.
Marisol
P.S. We can hear about the invitation to be extraordinary in the readings of the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year/Cycle C.
