Donna Moriarty
:Donna Moriarty
:Donna Moriarty
:Donna
CLF member, incarcerated in CA
My experience has taught me that many adults who seek a new spiritual connection have, like myself, been particularly sensitized to the suffering of the world. Maybe some people have been taught to be sensitive in this way.
Either way, I would like to see us broaden our empathy for each other in beloved community by celebrating the gift of βa sensitized soul.β Whether we were taught it or given it as a result of grief and loss, whether we were given it as neglected or abused children or from social oppression, we have it.
I have spent most of my life begrudging and resenting my experience of a discontented soul and longing for the ease and comfort that privileged conformists appear to have. I realize now, at age 70, what needless suffering I went through by holding onto these resentments. I kept myself in soul-slavery, even though intellectually I was successful and creative. In my late 40s, the rage and terror of my wounded inner child (affected by childhood trauma and my repression of my true feelings) exploded in a violent crime. I went to prison.
After 20 years of recovery from my criminal and addictive survival personality, mental illness, and criminal acting out, I realize that I spent my first 45 years trying to change the world without validating and healing my wounded soul. Looking back I see how my wound was a gift β the gift of motivating me to take my own path in life and not settle for mindless conformity. What Iβm trying to say is that celebrating our woundedness as sensitive souls can be a way of deepening beloved community and preventing younger sensitive souls from exploding, like I did. I feel validation of my worth and integrity as a sensitive soul trying to learn to live my ideals and validation of the inner and outer work required to accomplish them that could have gone a long way toward preventing me from living totally βin my head,β as I used to do.
The spiritual journey is counter-cultural in todayβs world, yet, I believe, it is our only solution to maintaining our health and sanity in spite of todayβs world. Wounded souls and sensitive souls need a community where we can experience unconditional acceptance. This doesnβt mean I agree with everything everyone else in the community does, but it does mean that I donβt judge others, and rather seek to understand and accept that their ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving are meeting their needs at this time. I feel only at the level of unconditional acceptance can we
motivate others by an example to grow. Self-righteousness and judgment only stop growth.
To me, unconditional acceptance is a relationship skill as well as a spiritual attitude. I have learned it in prison. In a communication class, I learned how to reflect othersβ emotions as well as the content of what they were saying. We were taught: reflect the emotion first, as in, βit appears that you are sad.β The other person will agree or correct you right away. Once you have emotional rapport, then it is possible to discuss the content openly and creatively. Self-acceptance is also key. If I donβt unconditionally accept myself as imperfect yet growing, I canβt do this with others. Finally, loving boundaries are essential. My unconditionally accepting others is an attitude of validation toward them, not an invitation to hurt or walk all over me. The most loving way I have learned to set boundaries is with βIβ statements, as in, βI feel uncomfortable when you talk down to me, please donβt do that anymore.β If it continues, it is essential to walk away when it happens again, to let the other person know you are serious. This, of course, presumes that the other person is mentally healthy and able to understand.
Introducing the βgift of a sensitized soulβ into Unitarian Universalist worship and group thinking would, I feel, encourage deeper empathy and unconditional acceptance of each other within our communities.
It was such a special morning sharing my music at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Jacksonville today! I always enjoy playing for the congregation and the church and the grounds here are truly beautiful! Good to be with my dear friends, times I treasure. Thanks to all! pic.twitter.com/5HWf59T2bw
Unitarian Universalist Association is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations. It was formed in 1961 by the... https://www.uusc.org/homestead-whos-profiting-from-detaining-kids/?fbclid=IwAR2HeVXB2STEbYmSVszt3ivcfJbBsYeQ579CIAlB4__Sn1gJQG65oj2d7wo …
Unitarian Universalist minister as was my father-in-law and probably best known for "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." pic.twitter.com/R89cL2D3Mi
it was very unitarian universalist so i stanned that part
where’s Unitarian Universalist Quaker UCC Sikh Twitter tbh...
Grew up catholic, went to catholic school, became and continue to be atheist. However I have been a Unitarian universalist for 20+ yrs now. It's about community and understanding that all r seekers on their own path.
Grant Peeples has a show on 12/09/2018 at 10:30 AM @ Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, FL https://www.reverbnation.com/q/7dffir #concert https://www.reverbnation.com/grantpeeples
Grant Peeples has a show on 12/08/2018 at 06:00 PM @ Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Augustine Coffee House in St. Augustine, FL https://www.reverbnation.com/q/7der61 #concert https://www.reverbnation.com/grantpeeples