Do Your Own Work

 

 

The Buddha is saying, 'You are this.' He doesn’t say, 'I have something extra that I am going to give you.' Trust in yourself, trust in who you are. Sit down, breathe, be listening right now, hearing right now. Be intimate. But you have to do it for yourself. - Elihu Genmyo Smith, "No Need to Do Zazen, Therefore Must Do Zazen"

The truth of this quote has been coming up for me as I work with people in my spiritual practice.  Everyone wants the results without doing the work.  It is very difficult to become great, or even good, at anything without doing the practice to get there.  

There is a lot written in books and magazines about how much time it takes to get good and even great at a task or action.  The basic amount of time to become proficient at something is about 20 hours or 1/2 a work week.  To become a world class expert at something takes about 10,000 hours.  You do not become good or good enough at a task unless you put in the time.

I am willing to do my own work; I am not willing to do yours.

Blessings,

Judy

September 1 2025

 

The poster says:  “How do we change the world? One random act of kindness.” - Morgan Freeman as God in “Evan Almighty”.

As we move into September 2025, our country, Canada, faces many challenges as prices continue to rise for groceries and clothing - things that we consider basic for survival.  What I have been noticing are the random acts of kindness that folks in our area seem to be doing that ease the sense of strain and pressure around them. 

Acts of kindness including things like:

-mowing the neighbour’s lawn

-handing someone a dollar for a shopping cart

-dropping off food for someone who is ill

-walking a neighbour’s dog when the person has sprained an ankle

….and the list goes on.

My goal as fall settles in is to be aware and do something positive for someone each day.  

What is your goal for September?

Blessings,

Judy

Be Open

I have been listening to a family member complain of all the things that are wrong in their life.  I did not know how to approach and how to be of help.  

Then, I saw this slide, and I knew that it is not for me to deal with.  I do not even need to be a support.  I need to remind them that they can drop the load that they are carrying at any time.  What you carry is a choice!

When we let go, we let things happen in a natural way, and life is very good.

Blessings,

Judy