Toadfish Monastery

I have found that Spirituality comes from practicing the Spiritual Principals: Acceptance, Hope, Faith, Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness, Courage, Trust, Humility, Forgiveness, Unconditional Love, Perseverance, Integrity, Spirituality, Service, Loyalty, Respect, Admiration, Compassion, Tenderness, Unity, Sharing, Simplicity, Independence, Selflessness, Survival, Self- Reliance, Responsibility, Participation, Balance, Consistency, Clarity, Vision, Communication, Harmony, Gratitude, Joy, Surrender, Purpose, Freedom, Spontaneity, Abundance, Brotherhood, Humor, Patience, Beauty, Healing, Flexibility, Truth, Delight, Peace, Attraction, Availability, Balance, Character, Commitment, Discipline, Empathy and Serenity. 
Balance is in twice because it is necessary both in our lifes and how we practice these principals.  Practicing these will lead to a happier, and perhaps more peaceful life.  At least that is my experience.  The more i practice these the better my relationships with others.  The more I leave them out the more chaos comes into my life. Peace.

Quote from: Saranac Otter on May 28, 2008, 04:56:07 PM
I have found that Spirituality comes from practicing the Spiritual Principals: Acceptance, Hope, Faith, Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness, Courage, Trust, Humility, Forgiveness, Unconditional Love, Perseverance, Integrity, Spirituality, Service, Loyalty, Respect, Admiration, Compassion, Tenderness, Unity, Sharing, Simplicity, Independence, Selflessness, Survival, Self- Reliance, Responsibility, Participation, Balance, Consistency, Clarity, Vision, Communication, Harmony, Gratitude, Joy, Surrender, Purpose, Freedom, Spontaneity, Abundance, Brotherhood, Humor, Patience, Beauty, Healing, Flexibility, Truth, Delight, Peace, Attraction, Availability, Balance, Character, Commitment, Discipline, Empathy and Serenity. 
Balance is in twice because it is necessary both in our lifes and how we practice these principals.  Practicing these will lead to a happier, and perhaps more peaceful life.  At least that is my experience.  The more i practice these the better my relationships with others.  The more I leave them out the more chaos comes into my life. Peace.

Hey, my buddy Otter!  Glad to see you.   

Welcome, Otter!

I very much agree with you (althought I suppose to balance things out, I shouldn't!  )

I like your use of the word "practicing", too. Like any kind of balancing, it takes constant practice to get it right, and even then balance can be lost. Being willing to pick up again quickly after a fall (such as a temper flare) is also important. That means being able to recognize one's self as just as fallible as anyone else and forgive oneself. It takes a sort of courage, too.

I've been attempting to maintain using the indiginous American medicine wheel. I'm finding that trying to visualize everyone and everything both physical and spiritual as being stones on the same plane, in the same circle, neither above or below anyone else, has been helpful. I screw up all the time, but re-balancing seems easier when I think of it as just nudging a little stone back into the balanced configuration.

Wish I could balance the world into some kind of harmony, but I hope that trying to get myself on a better keel is a step in the right direction.

Quote from: water nymph on May 28, 2008, 07:47:34 PM

Quote from: Saranac Otter on May 28, 2008, 04:56:07 PM
I have found that Spirituality comes from practicing the Spiritual Principals: Acceptance, Hope, Faith, Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness, Courage, Trust, Humility, Forgiveness, Unconditional Love, Perseverance, Integrity, Spirituality, Service, Loyalty, Respect, Admiration, Compassion, Tenderness, Unity, Sharing, Simplicity, Independence, Selflessness, Survival, Self- Reliance, Responsibility, Participation, Balance, Consistency, Clarity, Vision, Communication, Harmony, Gratitude, Joy, Surrender, Purpose, Freedom, Spontaneity, Abundance, Brotherhood, Humor, Patience, Beauty, Healing, Flexibility, Truth, Delight, Peace, Attraction, Availability, Balance, Character, Commitment, Discipline, Empathy and Serenity. 
Balance is in twice because it is necessary both in our lifes and how we practice these principals.  Practicing these will lead to a happier, and perhaps more peaceful life.  At least that is my experience.  The more i practice these the better my relationships with others.  The more I leave them out the more chaos comes into my life. Peace.

Hey, my buddy Otter!  Glad to see you.   

heya Nymph!

I think you'll find no one here that disagrees with you, my dear Otter.

Quote from: Scriblerus the Philosophe on May 28, 2008, 10:29:19 PM
I think you'll find no one here that disagrees with you, my dear Otter.

Wow, that might take a little getting used to after my experiences on Topix.

If we do disagree, we at least strive to do it with respect and humility.  But I don't see anything to disagree with in the original post.

I don't think I could personally keep all the principles (mentally) separated enough to check whether I'm practicing all of them consistently!


I've been neglecting my Balance and Flexibility lately (too busy for yoga ).

Quote from: Saranac Otter on May 28, 2008, 10:57:54 PM

Quote from: Scriblerus the Philosophe on May 28, 2008, 10:29:19 PM
I think you'll find no one here that disagrees with you, my dear Otter.

Wow, that might take a little getting used to after my experiences on Topix.

I'm not surprised. Topix is...an interesting place.

Quote from: Scriblerus the Philosophe on May 29, 2008, 12:22:24 AM

Quote from: Saranac Otter on May 28, 2008, 10:57:54 PM

Quote from: Scriblerus the Philosophe on May 28, 2008, 10:29:19 PM
I think you'll find no one here that disagrees with you, my dear Otter.

Wow, that might take a little getting used to after my experiences on Topix.

I'm not surprised. Topix is...an interesting place.

I agree, I found myself unable to play nicely and be a good toadfish representative so I walked away.
What is so great about this monastery is the fact that even when we do not agree-- we do not get ugly, we listen, talk, think, ponder, accept and love.

Quote from: anthrobabe on May 29, 2008, 02:35:09 PM
I agree, I found myself unable to play nicely and be a good toadfish representative so I walked away.
What is so great about this monastery is the fact that even when we do not agree-- we do not get ugly, we listen, talk, think, ponder, accept and love.

...but to balance things out we have the Pirates to play rowdy with, and The Vent to work out frustrations, among other areas. Otherwise we'd be insufferable. 

Seranc Otter & Water Nymph,  you will find that this place is a rare find on the Interwebs - somewhere where people of different minds can come to gether without descending into flame wars and insults.  You will find many different POVs here from committed Christians to athiests (like me) and all manner of belief in between and to the side.  The common thread is tolerance and respect and it makes for a refreshing change to be able to put your ideas out without the prospect of some one taking them and twisting them around to make some irrelevant point.

There are no real topics that are out of bounds subject wise, we just are very strict about how we discuss them.  I like being able to bounce my ideas off other people and reading their considered responses.  I enjoy reading their ideas and trying to really understand what they are saying, rather than just trying to come up with some sort of escerbic comment in reply.  Of course, as you probably guess from my avatar etc, I like to play in the pirates.  It's a great place to be silly and pretend to bet all excited about any manner of nonsense.  Mind you, I wouldn't pay too much attention to that Cap'n Bluenose fellow, he's an inveterate drunk, although he's not too bad at making sly grog.

I hope you stay around and join in the fun!

Quote from: Bluenose on May 30, 2008, 12:44:58 AM
Seranc Otter & Water Nymph,  you will find that this place is a rare find on the Interwebs - somewhere where people of different minds can come to gether without descending into flame wars and insults.  You will find many different POVs here from committed Christians to athiests (like me) and all manner of belief in between and to the side.  The common thread is tolerance and respect and it makes for a refreshing change to be able to put your ideas out without the prospect of some one taking them and twisting them around to make some irrelevant point.

There are no real topics that are out of bounds subject wise, we just are very strict about how we discuss them.  I like being able to bounce my ideas off other people and reading their considered responses.  I enjoy reading their ideas and trying to really understand what they are saying, rather than just trying to come up with some sort of escerbic comment in reply.  Of course, as you probably guess from my avatar etc, I like to play in the pirates.  It's a great place to be silly and pretend to bet all excited about any manner of nonsense.  Mind you, I wouldn't pay too much attention to that Cap'n Bluenose fellow, he's an inveterate drunk, although he's not too bad at making sly grog.

I hope you stay around and join in the fun!

I believe in God but not organized reliigon. I believe organized religion is about controlling minds not about God.  A lot of my structure of Belief comes from my almost 15 years of recovery in NA.  I also have spent some time as a minor Shaman, mostly concerned with restoring balance in "Disrupted" places.

Quote from: Saranac Otter on May 30, 2008, 01:06:18 AM

I believe in God but not organized reliigon.
[/quote]

I used to say that I wasn't a member of any organized religion I was a _________ (insert denomination that'll get the biggest laugh, in my locale, Southern Baptist.)

My lack of belief in the structured religions has led me to being a Quaker. (Meeting, not "Church". Even Quakers have their divisions.) Don't worry, I won't try to make you eat oatmeal or wear homespun trousers with buttons and suspenders...

Hmmmm....  oatmeal with dark brown sugar and milk - YUMMMM!!!

You can keep the homespun dacks, though

Oatmeal. Best in oatmeal cookies...

(Chatty hates hot cereals...Chatty will not eat hot cereals AT ALL.)