beginning week four

I have not been able to listen to the CD yet as my CD player decided to glitch. Will be trying to 'borrow' my daughters so I can listen to it. I did however, finish the reading in the book. From the reading I have gleened information that I think is applicable to my practice as a nurse. Our mind is calmer and better candidate for comtemplative practice when we are relaxed. With time and practice there will come a time when loving-kindness will reveal itself as a natural aspect of higher consciousness. All of us have experienced profound kindness, compassion and love for another person. In order to show this to others we must first begin by showing it to ourselves. We cannot share with others what doesn't exist in ourselves. It can be expressed in our thoughts, prayers and advice or through physical assitance and generosity that connects heart to heart. It includes sensitivity, openness to others and their differences, warm heart and qualities fo repect fairness, honesty, patience and acceptance. All too often it is obscured by a calculating mind that assesses the worth of everything and the cost of it to us. When we see that everyone wants happiness and love, we can move/step further and wish this for others. The mind drives our outer actions so the mind is where we must start. Cultivating intension will shift mental attitude from self-centeredness to cherishing others. Once this inner attitude is sufficently stabilized we can begin to practive it in our world. I want to assit others in alleviating needless suffering and gaining happiness. In order to be effective with this I need to learn now to cultivate these characteristics in myself first-only then can I begin to know how to properly share them with others.
Dacher,E.S. (2006). Integral health: the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.