I don’t know.
What do people mean when they say…
It is frightening sometimes, to contemplate how much meaning is lost in language. Language is a conveyance of meaning. As nuanced and complex and beautiful as language is, the infinite diversity of what it tries to convey is compacted, shrunk, confined, and rigidly formalized, in order to fit into its relatively tight parameters.
How important it is, when seeking to listen to another, to watch carefully their facial expressions, body language, variations of voice, the time and place in which they choose to convey meaning, their openness to the other, which is you. Past encounters also play an immeasurable role in conveying meaning, in mutually agreed upon assumptions, acceptance of facts and feelings, trust or mistrust, power differentials…
There are other popular means of conveyance of meaning, such as music, visual art, dance, etc.. Each conduit has its own intricacies, its own set of required skills.
Language is my channel of expression. All art forms speak to me.
One of the the things I love about language is that it can be spoken by almost all humans, used as a form of expression, to the degree to which they are able or inspired to do. Everyone who uses language is an artist of sorts, as careful listening will reveal.
The written word, which is what the universe decided would be my primary means of expression, relies on language.
The written word has much to offer the author.
It allows the author to set a context within which a thought may reside, and more readily be understood by themselves and others. It allows emotions to fall out onto a page unbidden, and to be pulled and tugged in various directions and to various depths and heights. It allows the author to express feelings and thoughts without immediately sharing them. It allows the author to temporarily pursue a line of thought or feeling, unencumbered by the reactions and feedback of the other.
And it allows the author to choose if and when to share what has been created.
So here I am, and here you are.
There is more we do not know about one another than there is that we do know about one another, and yet, we share a displaced-in-time moment.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
-14°C
Date: 5:00 AM EST Tuesday 16 January 2018
Condition: Not observed
Pressure: 103.0 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: -14.2°C
Dew point: -16.9°C
Humidity: 80%
Wind: NNE 13 km/h
Wind Chill: -21
Quote
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
Abraham Maslow
1908 – 1970
I got a new book in the post the other day, called THE NATURE OF PERSONAL REALITY, by Jane Roberts/Notes by Robert F. Butts. (“A Seth Book: Specific, Practical Techniques for Solving Everyday Problems and Enriching the Life You Know”)
I may have read this many years ago but this book is a nice large sized paperback and easier to read than my supply of Seth Books which are tiny paperbacks that are very hard to read for older eyes!
I found Seth many decades ago when I needed “his” wisdom. Seth changed everything for me.
Have you ever indulged in him? From the back cover: “You are a multidimensional personality. Trust the miracle of your own being. Make no divisions between the physical and the spiritual in your lifetimes, for the spiritual speaks with a physical voice and the corporeal body is the creation of the spirit.”
and
“The Seth books present an alternate map of reality with a new diagram of the psyche… useful to all explorers of consciousness.” (Deepak Chopra, M.D.)
If you’ve never read a Seth book, I suggest you consider it. There are a bunch, but the early ones I like the best. Seth is channeled through Jane Roberts who is in trance while Seth speaks through her, and her husband Robert Butts, literally takes it all down in his shorthand and then types it all out. It’s amazing, and although there will always be skeptics of this sort of thing, I am not one of them. I believe. I believe in Seth and I believe what he has to tell us is the best of the best wisdom. xox
Bex, thank you for sharing what you think about the Seth books. I am aware of them, but have not read any of them. I think there is one here in the house though, I will have to go through the bookcases to see if I can find it. This sounds very pertinent to life in general, and in particular to the personal journey I have been forced to undertake at this time in my life. It is a good time for me to focus on thoughts and feelings that are positive, and this sounds very positive!
What do people mean when they say… Just with what goes on in my life, the best I can answer you is to say ‘ask them’. If you think them an honest person it might be hard for them but eventually they will tell you what they meant. They may even find it easy to tell you what they meant.
I’m glad you’re asking that question, Maggie. It means you’re working at hearing what people have to say about themselves and their feelings. Those are excellent aspirations.
Teri, listening is a big job! Most people do their best I think, although from the state of the world, it is apparent some larger than life players aren’t making much of an effort.
You’re right. I think maybe some people can’t get beyond their own egos to hear what others are thinking.
Teri, oh the orangeness of it all.
Maggie, what a pleasure to see your sense of humor showing itself here. Thanks for the chuckle.
Wendy, it felt pretty good!
I read The Nature of Personal Reality when I was about 20 years old. I read it slowly and carefully and have been testing its philosophy ever since — some 35 years. I’d have to say it’s one of the books that has had a huge effect on my life. Reality follows our thoughts. Emotions follow our thoughts. It’s alittle different than “The Secret” philosophy, which suggests that the way we “feel” is what draws our experiences to us. There’s more to both than that, but generally speaking … I learned a lot from each of them. -Kate