My Harbor

Well I have been a bit busy and then got in one of my unpleasant moods so I avoided writing in my blog because I don't want to taint anyone who reads this with unhealthy thoughts. As I mentioned before I am reading a great book by Elizabeth Gilbert called Eat, Pray, Love. She has been a great comfort to me because I'm finding I am not the only neurotic 41 year old woman wallowing in a full blown midlife crisis. This is very comforting to me and she is hilarious. She and I are really soul sisters who think exactly alike. So I'm going to follow her lead and work very hard at not harboring unhealthy thoughts. As of late my unhealthy thoughts have been like a bulldozer running me over morning, noon and night. So I am going to share with you what she wrote in her words on this very topic and leave it at that for now.

Gilbert writes:
So I've started being vigilant about watching my thoughts all day, and monitoring them. I repeat this vow about 700 times a day: "I will not harbor unhealthy thoughts anymore." Every time a diminishing thought arises, I repeat the vow. I will not harbor unhealthy thoughts anymore. The first time I heard myself say this, my inner ear perked up at the word "harbor," which is a noun and a verb. A harbor, of course, is a place of refuge, a port of entry. I pictured the harbor of my mind- a little beat-up, perhaps, a little storm-worn, but well situated and with a nice depth. The harbor of my mind is an open bay, the only access to the island of my Self (which is a young and volcanic island, yes, but fertile and promising). This island has been through some wars, it is true, but it is now committed to peace, under a new leader (me) who has instituted new policies to protect the place. And now- let the word out across the seven seas- there are much, much stricter laws on the books about who may enter this harbor.
You may not come here anymore with your hard and abusive thoughts, with your plague ships of thoughts, with your slave ship of thoughts, with your warships of thoughts- all these will be turned away. Likewise, any thoughts that are filled with angry or starving exiles, with malcontents and pamphleteers, mutineers and violent assassins, desperate prostitutes, pimps and seditious stowaways- you may not come here anymore, either. Cannibalistic thoughts, for obvious reasons, will no longer be received. Even missionaries will be screened carefully, for sincerity. This is a peaceful harbor, the entryway to a fine and proud island that is only now beginning to cultivate tranquility. If you can abide by these new laws, my dear thoughts, then you are welcome in my mind- otherwise, I shall turn you all back toward the sea from whence you came.
This is my mission, and it will never end.

So....that's where I'm at. I thought instead of pouring all my rank, foul, grotesquely inappropriate and unhealthy thoughts to you I'd share with you my goals for a new outlook on life and Gilbert put it so eloquently I thought I'd just stick with what she said.

Thank you for your patience and tomorrow is a new day.

Love Lisa

"If you utilize compassion, it will bring you tranquility and strength".
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama