A post from Atiya:

“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood ….”

I was out walking and the above came to mind in part because of the weather. It is simply gorgeous out. And also, because I recently heard someone share about the recovery quip: “Your mind is a dangerous neighborhood; don’t go into it alone.”  Yet, because of my daily spiritual practices, which this morning included attending meetings, my mind is cleared of dangerous thoughts. Right now, it is a safe place for me to be.

For many years, I have understood sanity to be not an elimination of unhealthy thoughts but the ability to distinguish healthy thoughts from unhealthy ones.  What makes the neighborhood of my mind beautiful today is that through my spiritual practices, I can recognize any unhealthy or dangerous thoughts. I am not responsible for my first thought. I am responsible for my second thought and my first action.

The daily work enables me to recognize my thinking as my own and to avoid being frightened by it, even when dangerous or unhealthy thoughts may come. 

Thank you for reading me today. May we all be well and have a beautiful day!

Atiya M.
Durham,  NC, USA