May 17: Day 137

STONE SEVEN CONTINUED
 
Feel: I allow myself to feel. My emotions are part of my being. By allowing myself to feel, I heal and grow.

Instruction: Allow yourself to feel pleasure.

Some religious teachings would have us believe that pleasure is a bad thing. They reason, How can we be happy when there is so much bad in the world? Some extreme religions even go so far as to teach that experiencing pleasure can be a sin. These religious people take the world and themselves very seriously. They believe that until everything is perfect there is still much work to do, and who are we to take time to play, relax, or enjoy anything pleasurable? Following the teaching and leadership of these people can lead us to feel guilt, shame, and condemnation for simply being human and feeling human emotions. They would have us remain in serious repentance, continual worship, and self-loathing if we are not doing everything in our power to help save the world from destruction. Hopefully, those religious institutions and leaders who ascribe to this way of thought are not in the majority, and many of those who believe this way see a decrease in their following, because fewer numbers mean that fewer people support their work. Perhaps that will bring a needed change in leadership that will lessen their rigidity.

In some sense, Stone Seven seems to be allowing us to feel our emotions, and we often don’t give consideration to the positive ones we might be encouraged to deny or suppress. All of our feelings are part of our nature, and we don’t have to ignore, hide, or suppress any of them. That’s not to say that we should act on all our feelings. That would be babyish behavior and unworthy of mature thinking, but knowing when to act and when to release is part of finding our spiritual path. Sometimes we make wrong decisions, but perhaps the simplest solution is to acknowledge it, regret it, try to correct it, seek forgiveness for it, and release it. We don’t have to carry around chains of remorse or guilt. We make it right — right away.

Today’s Assignment is to consider how you handle your mistakes. Some people don’t know what to do with their mistakes. Often they simply ignore them, perhaps in hopes that they will go away. Perhaps their pride prevents them from admitting, changing, and correcting. If you have trouble admitting your mistakes, then follow this simple formula: acknowledge, regret (remorse), correct, forgive, and release.