If a man has done his best, what else is there?

September 2, 2010, Lakewood, CO
10:10:51, hours MDT
...continued hiker’s journal…
[Temporarily foreclosed upon and homeless with an 80-90 lb. dog in my care]

57° @ 08:00 Hours, MDT this morning outside. The weather/temperature is varying as the shift into autumn is taking its shape once again here in the middle latitudes.

Today’s meditation seems synchronistic to the situation that Homeless Dog [pronounced Homeless Doge] and myself find our-selves in today. See if this rings true for you as well…okay?

Day 166―
Meditations from the Mat, Gates and Kenison.

“If a man has done his best, what else is there?”
George S. Patton Jr.

“Because of my asana practice, I experience a deeper level of dignity in my life. Over and over again, I show up on my mat just not in the mood. Something has not gone my way, or I may simply be tired. In any case, my heart is not in it. But I start anyway. At these times, I appreciate the fact that I start with fifteen minutes of reclining pranayama, because I can fling my weary body down and lie flat on my back, arms outstretched. I stay with the breath, move through the exercise, connect to the expansiveness in my chest. I perform one sun salutation, and then I say the ancient mantra “om’ three times. “Om” is the name, sound, and vibration of divinity. I experience the name, sound and vibration of God in every cell in my body. I “om” my powerlessness, I “om” my gratitude, I “om” to end suffering of all beings. Then I begin. Some days it turns around and I get a surge of energy; some days it doesn’t. It doesn’t really matter. If I complete my practice, which is most days, I can step back and let go. I have done my best. What else is there?”
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TIME…T.I.M.E. Things I Must Earn… This meditation reminds us to trust in the process and remind ourselves that when not reminded from the OUTSIDE that we have an INSIDE process that w/ practice of course and an active seeking of God’s will for us― that we can slow down and go slowly with integrities that many look to us to possess. This integrity may be doing the INSIDE work that spiritual practice leads us through. We clean house and make changes in our businesses, our approaches and stand in truth. However, it is not lost on the practitioner, me and hopefully YOU that this internal housecleaning has not-a-thing to do w/ acting-as-if in the greater Industrial-Consumer Society that America has become.

Homeless Dog and I will be temporarily given shelter at Julie’s house-sitting situation in Denver for this month. As well on the horizon is my re-certification process with DORA so that I may cobble-together and concoct a plan for on-call counseling work in Denver Metro. As soon as DORA approves my pending re-certification I will knock on doors. I intend to gain some provisional position useful in the short-term and more permanent as time goes on― one that has benefits― possibly w/ Corrections or Judicial. Time will tell, right?

Externally, the funds from the IRA have exhausted. The last 5½ yrs. living on approx. 15k per yr. is something that I recommend to you and by extension to your friends to do while you are still young and your body is still in shape. I regret none of my mistakes, joys and lessons learned since retiring at 54 y.o.
I found a food bank and the nutritional help is valuable.

The inner work presently points to this approach--> to go with the way things are in efforts to release the emotional drama that at times I’m seemingly pulled into. I remind myself to practice and do my best to release and ‘feel’ that surge of energy that this meditation speaks to. Some days I don’t, however this seems like the pathway w/ heart, integrity and truth for me and Ellie-Mae-the-homeless-dog.

The people in my life that COUNT― I have let in and they have given me gifts of awake ness and consciousness. Some who are emotionally afflicted and spiritually sick tip-toe around their own lives and others and are really of no benefit for the Inside work that this meditation seems to get in touch with. These folks are on the outer circle of acquainting and those who are present in their own lives are closest to me while Ellie-Mae and I navigate this position of becoming foreclosed upon and subsequently homeless w/ a financial burden.

This weekend in Denver is the AA State Convention and I will attend again as I have over many years. Next weekend is Kyle’s memoriam and tree-planting at the Summit County District Courthouse as well as an Arid Club member’s AA birthday and BBQ at his home. Julie and I will attend to the three, in between my trying to gain a transitional position in the field and gather some funds for a lease somewhere here in the area.
As the meditation relates it really doesn’t matter whether we feel a surge in energy…what matters most is that the practitioner completes the practice and then steps back to let it go and then go on in the Society w/ integrity. Make sense to you kids?