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A Constant Becoming

AConstantBecoming

Audio Reads of Some of My Posts

aconstantbecoming.substack.com
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  • 22 episodes
  • a few times a week
  • Avg 1 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • August 12 · 1 min

    Past, Present, and Future

    Can you be free of the past, knowing it brought you to this place? Can you be sure of the present, knowing that you are enough? Can you have hope for the future, secure in the intentions of the universe and those who love you most? Another common saying that I use probably too often is “Says easy, does hard.” Or, some things, maybe most things, are harder to do than they are to say. This intention lives in that register for me. It’s probably the shortest and most direct encapsulation of what I hope for myself and for each of you but each question challenges me. I'm going to work them in reverse order because I think that’s how I’m making progress. I’m the furthest along on hope for the future because I have people in my life who anchor me and hold up a mirror when I need it. I believe in them enough to have hope. The other two are much harder. I’m not sure most of us will ever be free of the past nor will we ever fully believe we are enough. But perhaps all that matters is we don’t let the past and the present get in the way of the future. And by that standard, I feel much better. As you read this I wonder * Which of these seems the hardest to you and why? * Have you given yourself credit for making progress against them? * How would you prioritize them in terms of how they matter to you? The past, the present, and the future all have their place. We cannot solely live in one. But we can make ourselves more comfortable in each and, as we do, the transitions between them can become less abrupt and more peaceful. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com

  • August 10 · 1 min

    Starting from Hope

    Can you judge less the specific choices you have than the fact you have choices? Can you worry less about what you achieved than what you learned? Can you find a place to call home and live in it even when it isn’t perfect? In short, can you start from hope not regret? Humans in general, and I in particular, are creatures of judgment. We are constantly evaluating. All animals I suppose do so, and those who do it well, tend to survive better than those who are oblivious. However, sometimes, we evaluate too much. We forget the many choices we have in favor of assessing whether they are good enough. We sometimes make the perfect the enemy of the good. People say you should run to things and not away from them. But, at least for me, you don’t want to run to things because it locks in the end point. Rather, we need to accept change and proceed from the premise that the path is ours to choose. Not every path of course, the world makes some paths available and we decide others are not for us. But if we start from hope, the choice tends to be less about which path leads to the goal and more about which path gives me choices that are appealing. As you read this I wonder: * Do you fully appreciate the choices you have in front of you? * Can you resist the temptation to compare what you have to what you want? * Can you look ahead and see opportunity, not use the future to try to make up for the past? Many of us are our own harshest critics. As we start the week, can we make a choice, even if it’s the choice to stay where we are. There is hope in every path. There is learning in every path. What more do we need? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aconstantbecoming.substack.com

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