How to Let Go of Your Story (Part 2)

I thought about going back to the previous post and removing the "Part 1" from the title. I feel overwhelmed by this concept of letting go, or transcending, the story of what my life has been. It seems like this topic could have endless parts. Yet perhaps I can take it a bit at a time, not looking too far ahead, and just see where the path leads. 

Along the lines of Dr. Zach Bush's thinking, I do believe it's possible to set on the path to a whole new life in one day, to make not only a beginning, but even a dramatic shift; however, I don't think the change can possibly be completed in a 24-hour period. And that probably isn't what he was implying anyway. 

I found a place to start in today's Gospel reading, from Matthew 7:6, 12-14 (DRV), in the words of Jesus:

"Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you... All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!" 

The image at the top of the page shows a man weighted by the burden of sin, his baggage too broad to enter through the narrow gate. It seems that more and more people are daily choosing the wide, winding gate over the straight and narrow, pushing through it in misguided droves. The souls of many in our nation and around the world are in a dire state. I don't believe this is a time, during intense civil unrest, to advocate for positive thinking and merely hope for the best. I think the time is well overdue for calling a spade a spade. 

What we're seeing in America are the dogs and swine trampling on the pearls, tearing away at what is good, true, and beautiful. These people spit upon the Golden Rule. They do unto others what they would never accept being done to them. I will not associate with anyone who supports the violence and destruction. These villains don't want to go anywhere near the narrow gate. They despise what is holy. 

Black Lives Matter is a terrorist group with an open agenda of Marxism. They are narcissists who care for no one but themselves; opportunists with purely political motivations, without an ounce of understanding of human dignity. Not only do individuals need to let go of their own stories; but if this country is to be saved, we have to reject, as a people, the evil intentions of those who are violently thrusting stories upon us, shoving their narrative down our throats. If we do not swallow the bile of these stories, we will be called racists, white supremacists, bigots, and the list goes on. We will be persecuted. So be it.

I think that detaching from the Marxist narrative, turning our backs to it, dropping the baggage of their twisted stories, and pointing our souls toward the narrow gate is the only solution. If what Dr. Bush was talking about is a practice of detachment, and I believe it is, then we need to seek knowledge of what a Christian detachment looks like, which I believe to be a key element on the pilgrimage to sainthood. 

Like our spiritual ancestors, we must become, once again, pilgrims. It's horrific seeing the statues fall at the hands of felons. It's terrifying seeing mobs destroy lives, businesses, history, law and order. The only response I can cling to now is detachment. Their story is not my story. Their story is not the story of America the Beautiful. Their idea of utopia is a path of slavery. Oh, the irony. 

Dive into the Word. Receive the sacraments. Go to Confession and rid yourself of sin and guilt. Become clean, living in a state of supernatural Grace. Wear the pearl of great price. Detach from the efforts of persecution. Call evil what it is. Yes, slavery and racism are evil, and that is exactly the agenda of Antifa, Black Lives Matter, Planned Parenthood, and all of their ilk. But we must remember to pray for those afflicted with malice and lies, both those who lead others astray, and the ones who are mislead. Prayer is the beginning, and the primary vehicle, of detachment. 

If enough of us transcend our stories, we will experience a sea change. Let the marauders do what they will, showing their true colors, and discontinue validating their stories with "diplomatic" responses. Allow them to reap what they sew. Silence is golden. And then, there will come a time to break silence...

How to Let Go of Your Story (Part 1)

Zach Bush, MD

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Zach Bush, one of the very few triple board certified physicians in the U.S., on the Rich Roll podcast, #456, recorded at a retreat in Italy.

"The cubicle you're really living in is your story. You're gonna go back into an environment at home where everybody thinks they know who you are, because you have very carefully created a cubicle that you show everybody. You are a multi-faceted spiritual creature, that has innumerable facets and faces to you. There is such beauty and complexity in you, and yet you choose to show forth faces of a cubicle. And you have created that story of your life and who you are through training. And I would say that's the biggest problem that all of us face in this room, is the story that you now tell yourself of what your life has been. It's keeping you in a box."

Take a moment to breathe deeply and soak this in. 

I listened to the podcast weeks ago and have been thinking about how to do it, how to let go of my story, ever since. I don't have advice to give on how to transcend one's story, but I think I need to spend the rest of the summer trying to figure it out. I believe I was already in the process of doing this months ago, at the end of my grandparents' lives. I knew I would no longer have the key source of support and unconditional love that they had provided my whole life. Sure, I have other support systems and loved ones, but what my grandparents represented for me was unique and foundational to my story. 

I was somehow aware, through the grief and numerous mixed emotions I was experiencing, that I had been trained into a box of who I was supposed to be, and I felt the prison breaking open, turbulently, as I came to terms with my grandparents' passing. I knew that I must never apologize for being who I am. I owed no one an explanation, not for anything that came from my sense of dignity and the sincerity of my heart. It was okay for me to be weak. It was okay for me to be strong. It was okay for me to be myself. 

I do not believe that my grandmother lived in a cubicle. On more than one occasion, when I was thinking that the state of the world had grown so dark that there must have been a time in history that was better, that we could go back to, I asked Grandma what past era was her favorite. She was born in 1928. She would never choose, always telling me that she had enjoyed all of the eras of her life, including the current one. I understand now that she lived in the present. And because she did, because she wasn't boxed in by her own story, she could allow others the freedom to not be defined by theirs. I wish I could ask her how she managed to live this way. 

I had been told a story from my early childhood for many years, over a period of decades, that was always the same. It was a sweet story that I enjoyed hearing. And then the last time it was told, it was changed entirely. The new version cast me, as a small child, in a lurid light. What had been sweet turned suddenly sour. I knew logically that the revised version could not be true, as it was markedly different from what I had heard my entire life. After listening to Dr. Bush, I decided that not only must I let go of the version that hurt me, but the one which had made me happy as well. 

This was someone else's memory. It was not mine, and I did not have to hold onto it. It did not have to define me or have anything to do, either good or bad, with my present self. It was another person's story, that for whatever reason was altered, and it need not mean anything to me. When the story changed, I realized that it had always been an illusion. 

I don't think Dr. Bush was talking about "reframing" our experiences, though that could be a place to start. Rather, I think he was talking about a radical detachment. He doesn't even like the story that is told to introduce him in interviews about his rare accomplishment as a triple board certified doctor. These details of his life are not who he is. 

When we hang on to our story, we will find ourselves stuck. Our stories can play obsessively in our minds. Memory is not necessarily accurate, and the power of suggestion is strong. We have been trained by the stories others have told about us, and that they will not let go of, to hold onto our own stories as well. Curiously, my grandma didn't tell me stories of my childhood. Our relationship is not colored by her stories of me. For this I am profoundly grateful. 

What about you? I encourage you to take the time to listen to the whole podcast. It may sound a bit "out there" in places, but I think the basic idea of breaking out of one's cubicle is solid. Dr. Bush goes so far as to say that we can have a whole new life in a day! And I think the key is to start with small changes. 

Do you want to give up coffee, but tell yourself that you are a coffee drinking person? Do you want to be a dancer but tell yourself you are clumsy, because that's what you've always heard, and you have the bruises to prove it? Do you tell yourself that you are disorganized, a perfectionist, lazy, lonely, depressed, stupid, smart, fun, boring, offensive, nice... ?? What if you did start fresh, today, right this very moment, dropping every story? What a scary thought! Like standing on the edge of a cliff. 

But what if you could stand on the edge and not fall? 

These are the questions. 

The Quiet Revolution of Women | True Power

A revolution can be quiet. While the mob rules the streets, women can be home, quietly nursing babies. The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. While children are being indoctrinated in Leftist government schools, where history is erased, women can homeschool their own and teach them in the Way they should go. While women of folly screech their abortions and emasculate men,  women of grace love their husbands and children, and quietly fill their quiver.

Women are the keepers--the guardians--of the home, and we are keepers of Beauty. While death and destruction seem to be ruling the day and America appears to be sinking in quicksand, there is an underground revolution that has already formed deep roots in the soil. And it is increasing. Many women were mandated to stay at home, and many men too, during the coronavirus lockdowns. If you can, stay there. Do not go back into the brutal world. This crisis was a blessing in disguise.

A woman's gift is holy Silence. That a woman should be silent is not that a woman should not speak. Rather, "She hath opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue" (Prov. 31: 26, DRV).  A woman's silence is in the repose of her soul. Because her words are honorable, she is honored, and she is heard by those with ears to hear.

Do not believe, dear women of God, that you are powerless. Follow His will, and your arms will be strong to do His work. Mold yourselves in the image of Our Lady, who is the perfect feminine image of the Lord, and you will be praised in the gates. And the enemy will fall. And the darkness shall not overcome us.

Catholic Homeschool High School Curriculum Outline, 2020-2021

   

I got our homeschooling notification forms to the superintendent this past Wednesday, as I prefer to have that out of the way so I can enjoy my summer. As we are all too aware, this is an unusual year, and so much of the future is up in the air. Our homeschool co-op has postponed registration for fall until an undetermined date in July, so I was concerned about how to word my family's curriculum plans, without knowing for sure what classes might be available. Another mother wisely reminded me that we only have to submit our intended plans. I kept my outline very brief--only one page! This is the first year I've been able to condense it so much. My daughter will be an 11th grader, but this curriculum is general enough to work for various grade levels. Please feel free to use whatever you'd like from this outline and to request additional details in the comments. Godspeed! 

 Homeschool Curriculum Outline 2020-2021

Immaculate Heart Academy

I. Please note that resources and activities planned for this school year are subject to availability and change, as determined by the progression of mandates and procedures regarding COVID-19. The curriculum may include but is not limited to the lists provided in brief here. All required subjects will be covered and hours completed, within the framework of a Catholic Christian, liberal arts educational program. Also, for this phase of high school, we will be following student-directed, interest-based learning, implementing possible apprenticeships, travel, and experiential opportunities for credit. We believe in an integrated curriculum, so various resources will connect subject matter and overlap. Unless otherwise noted, courses will be designed using recommendations from the High School of Your Dreams manual and the additional sources listed below.

II. Resource List

* High School of Your Dreams course manual (Catholic Heritage Curricula)

* AmblesideOnline, Year 11

* Simply Charlotte Mason (simplycharlottemason.com)

* Homeschool Co-op classes, academic and fine arts

* Sauder Village Farm and Living History Museum

* Public and home library and online resources

* Navarre Bible

III. Subject Guide

Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful high school language arts, including classic literature, vocabulary, grammar, poetry, and writing, plus honors book studies (jennyphillips.com); narration, copy work, and dictation; self-directed creative writing projects; Spanish; Shakespeare (SCM)

Social Studies (history, geography, and religion): American government, twentieth century history, geography (The Good and the Beautiful), saint studies, religious education (Saint Patrick Church), papal encyclicals, current world events

Mathematics: Concepts in algebra and geometry (MathHelp.com); consumer math (Money Matters for Teens); personal finance

Science and Health: Biology, environmental science/ecology, animal science, plant-based diet, nutrition, organic gardening and regenerative agriculture, composting, hygiene and self-care; The National Parks (Freeman Tilden); zachbushmd.com

Physical Education and Life Skills: Running, hiking, biking, swimming, home fitness program, home economics, Christian stewardship, driver's education, school sports teams

Fine Arts: Classes, lessons, and experiences in singing, guitar, musical theater, song writing; art appreciation and history, drawing and painting (The Good and the Beautiful); pottery

First Aid, Safety, and Fire Protection: JOY Co-op fire and safety programs, home safety and first aid instruction, self-defense classes and techniques