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iKnow yourself | |
iFebruary 07th, 2018 | |
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i | |
iI picked up a little box of cards called Know Yourself [0]. | |
iThey're prompts for self-exploration or meditation. In all, there | |
iare 60 cards that ask you questions to help guide you to a more | |
ithorough understanding of self. | |
i | |
iI'm a nerd for a lot of things, many of which are technical. | |
iHardware hacking, obscure programming languages, weird Japanese | |
iflutes, you get the idea. Some of my nerdiness is geared toward | |
iphilosophy and religion, though. I have that Jesuit background, of | |
icourse, and a long history of reading and experimenting with other | |
ioptions than Catholocism. Through all that jazz I've collected | |
iideas just like I collect old machines. Meditation techniques are | |
imy aesthetic, as the kids say. | |
i | |
iAnyway, here's one card to whet your whistle: | |
i | |
i Front: | |
i | |
i In your worst fears, what might your colleagues at work be | |
i criticising you for behind your back? | |
i | |
i Rear: | |
i | |
i There is no point being squeamish here. Your fears are | |
i correct. Anything you might suspect others might think is | |
i already a reality. The point isn't to escape such imagined | |
i gossip but to take gracious measures to deal with its almost | |
i certain existence. | |
i | |
iIt's an interesting card and it put my mind on a few things. | |
iI like to walk around and visit with people at work as a way of | |
itaking a break, stretching my legs and my mind. I'm sure it annoys | |
isome of the people in the office, though I don't think it's the | |
iones I visit. I'm sure there's people who have personal feelings | |
iagainst the way I handle situations, or whom I rub the wrong way. | |
iI don't always roll over and let people have their way, and that | |
ican be seen as combative or antagonistic at times. | |
i | |
iThese aren't new thoughts and they don't bother me. I've accepted | |
ithat my purpose in my career isn't to be liked by all people. It's | |
ito be effective, fulfilled as much as possible, to forge good | |
irelationships where possible, and to provide for my family. I'm | |
iokay with the rest as-is. | |
i | |
iThe other part that grabbed my attention was the bit on the | |
iflipside of the card. I like the directness it takes and even the | |
iway its worded. On the surface it seems like it's suggesting that | |
iyou find a way to fix or rectify the things at work which you may | |
ibe criticised for. Upon a closer look it carefully says only to | |
i"take gracious measures to deal with" the criticism. | |
i | |
iIn stoic terms, this is a fantastic approach because it's not | |
ifocused on fixing something which is beyond your control (i.e., | |
imaking those around you like you), but instead with the elements | |
ithat are in your control (namely, your reactions). Think long and | |
ihard about the criticisms others may have and consider them. Are | |
ithey valid? If so, I may want to change something I do, or I may | |
ifeel that my choice is more important than their reaction to it. | |
iMaybe their criticism is invalid. Whichever situation may exist | |
ithe most important thing is to find peace with it and focus my | |
ienergy on only the things which are in my absolute control. | |
i | |
iI like these cards. Maybe I'll do a written response to another | |
ione some day. | |
i | |
[0] Know Yourself - Cards for Self-Exploration |