Hello, all!
I'm running short of ideas for these . . . and would like to save some of my thought energies for my actual post next week! So I will leave this open for discussion.
I love the simple, clear wisdom of this thought. For me, it's a reminder that no matter how much I love or loathe my job on any given day, it's only a job -- the important thing is my attitude while doing it, that I do it "as unto the Lord" and for the furtherance of my salvation.
What does it bring to mind for you?
Thursday, March 20, 2008
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The Forty Maxims
- 1. Be always with Christ and trust God in everything.
- 2. Pray, fast and do acts of mercy.
- 3. Read the Scriptures regularly.
- 4. Read good books, a little at a time.
- 5. Practice silence, inner and outer.
- 6. Cultivate communion with the saints.
- 7. Be an ordinary person, one of the human race.
- 8. Live a day, even a part of a day, at a time.
- 9. Be honest, first of all with yourself.
- 10. Be faithful in little things.
- 11. Do your work, then forget it.
- 12. Do the most difficult and painful things first.
- 13. Face reality.
- 14. Be grateful.
- 15. Be cheerful.
- 16. Be simple, hidden, quiet and small.
- 17. Never bring unnecessary attention to yourself.
- 18. Listen when people talk to you.
- 19. Be awake and attentive, fully present where you are.
- 20. Think and talk about things no more than necessary.
- 21. Speak simply, clearly, firmly, directly.
- 22. Flee imagination, fantasy, analysis.
- 23. Flee carnal things at their first appearance.
- 24. Don’t complain, grumble, murmur or whine.
- 25. Don’t seek or expect pity or praise.
- 26. Don’t compare yourself with anyone.
- 27. Don’t judge anyone for anything.
- 28. Don’t try to convince anyone of anything.
- 29. Don’t defend or justify yourself.
- 30. Be defined and bound by God, not people.
- 31. Accept criticism gracefully and test it carefully.
- 32. Give advice only when asked or when it is your duty.
- 33. Be strict with yourself.
- 34. Be merciful with yourself and others.
- 35. Do nothing for people that they can do for themselves.
- 36. Have a healthy, wholesome hobby.
- 37. Have no expectations except to be fiercely tempted to your last breath.
- 38. Endure the trial of yourself and your faults serenely, under God’s mercy.
- 39. When you fall, get up immediately and start over.
- 40. Get help when you need it, without fear or shame.
2 comments:
Father Thomas Hopko says this one is about focusing on the task at hand, engaging in what you're doing at the time. And when you're done move on to the next task, forget about the previous one & focus on the present task at hand.
When I find this the hardest is when I'm playing with my kids. There are so many times that I don't feel fully engaged in my interactions with them because I am constantly thinking about the other things I have to do. I feel like this does my kids & myself a disservice.
As women this is sometimes impossible, because we are perpetual multi-taskers. So I will try to engage in the present task & do it to the best of my ability!
I think that this maxim was most important for me when working at a job whose environment I hated. It was so hard for me not to dwell on the things that went wrong, or what he or she said, or all the crappy stuff that went on during the day.
Ultimately, your work has to end, and if you let it seep into other parts of your life or obsessively dominate your consciousness, you're not giving it up to God and fighting for control. At least that's true for me.
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