Daily Advice 1.17.21
Jan. 17th, 2021 01:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
readoldthingsToday, more from Sun Tzu:
Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.
Forage on the enemy. That is, an army should take what it needs from its enemy's store, rather than depleting its own country's resources.
How can we apply this idea to our lives in general, and to the Spiritual Warfare we've been discussing?
Let's take the second question first. When I feel pulled to look at political or news websites or to dwell on the horrifying state of our politics or to let myself spiral into emotion about these things, it feels like a psychic attack, and I think we should see it that way.
I wrote yesterday that the battleground in all of this is our own psyches. We aren't invading Demon Land to conquer-- although we can and should talk about what that might look like, too. One thing at a time, though. For now, we're fighting for our own minds. How can we use the enemy's strength to augment our own?
Yesterday I suggested tactics for dealing with psychic attack. Pray and meditate. Banish. Burn frankincense or benzoin, or their essential oils in a simmer-pot. Go outside and walk in the woods. Do something important to you. And I'm sure you can think of more.
Today I'd like to re-emphasize this, but from a different point of view. Don't just view these things as responses to a psychic attack. Let the attack provide you with the energy to do these things. Later on, Sun Tzu will talk about seizing the enemy's chariots and giving them to your own soldiers. Look at it that way. So your Social Justice Warrior sister-in-law just texted you some Facebook meme about white privilege. Great! Don't respond. Take the irritation that it provoked in you and use the energy to get yourself to take a walk in the woods or work on your novel. Or take the opportunity to pray and sit for a little while in meditation. Pray for your sister-in-law. Don't pray that she give up her stupid ideas. Just pray that God, or her god, will look after her, and that you can forgive her for being who and what she is. Be grateful for the chance to practice forgiveness. The time spent in prayer will improve you in every way, and if not for her, you never would have done it.
Taking this approach, it's easy to see how we can apply this strategy to other goals in our lives. Is it taking forever to finish your novel? Great. Don't bewail your fate, allow it to inspire you. Accept that you'll be at it for a while, and that every day you spend writing and re-writing just makes you a better writer. Are you trying to find a new job? Let the process of sending out resumes and going to interviews teach you things-- and not just how to write resumes or interviews. Go into an interview with the intention that even if you don't get the job, you're going to gain by learning by how people in this industry think, how they talk, and what they want. Forage on the enemy-- grow from the process, whatever it is.
There are really just two ways to win a fight. Method 1: Hit the other guy before he can hit you. Method 2: Let him try to hit you first; use his energy against him.
This is Method 2. What about Method 1? We'll talk about that tomorrow.
Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.
Forage on the enemy. That is, an army should take what it needs from its enemy's store, rather than depleting its own country's resources.
How can we apply this idea to our lives in general, and to the Spiritual Warfare we've been discussing?
Let's take the second question first. When I feel pulled to look at political or news websites or to dwell on the horrifying state of our politics or to let myself spiral into emotion about these things, it feels like a psychic attack, and I think we should see it that way.
I wrote yesterday that the battleground in all of this is our own psyches. We aren't invading Demon Land to conquer-- although we can and should talk about what that might look like, too. One thing at a time, though. For now, we're fighting for our own minds. How can we use the enemy's strength to augment our own?
Yesterday I suggested tactics for dealing with psychic attack. Pray and meditate. Banish. Burn frankincense or benzoin, or their essential oils in a simmer-pot. Go outside and walk in the woods. Do something important to you. And I'm sure you can think of more.
Today I'd like to re-emphasize this, but from a different point of view. Don't just view these things as responses to a psychic attack. Let the attack provide you with the energy to do these things. Later on, Sun Tzu will talk about seizing the enemy's chariots and giving them to your own soldiers. Look at it that way. So your Social Justice Warrior sister-in-law just texted you some Facebook meme about white privilege. Great! Don't respond. Take the irritation that it provoked in you and use the energy to get yourself to take a walk in the woods or work on your novel. Or take the opportunity to pray and sit for a little while in meditation. Pray for your sister-in-law. Don't pray that she give up her stupid ideas. Just pray that God, or her god, will look after her, and that you can forgive her for being who and what she is. Be grateful for the chance to practice forgiveness. The time spent in prayer will improve you in every way, and if not for her, you never would have done it.
Taking this approach, it's easy to see how we can apply this strategy to other goals in our lives. Is it taking forever to finish your novel? Great. Don't bewail your fate, allow it to inspire you. Accept that you'll be at it for a while, and that every day you spend writing and re-writing just makes you a better writer. Are you trying to find a new job? Let the process of sending out resumes and going to interviews teach you things-- and not just how to write resumes or interviews. Go into an interview with the intention that even if you don't get the job, you're going to gain by learning by how people in this industry think, how they talk, and what they want. Forage on the enemy-- grow from the process, whatever it is.
There are really just two ways to win a fight. Method 1: Hit the other guy before he can hit you. Method 2: Let him try to hit you first; use his energy against him.
This is Method 2. What about Method 1? We'll talk about that tomorrow.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-23 12:07 am (UTC)I wanted to thank you, by the way, for this meditation upon the theme. It has been popping into my head in opportune moments these last few days, and proven helpful.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-24 04:18 pm (UTC)