#changing my perspective

[sirenadeloceano]

Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty

[porloquevivoyo]

Hard doesn’t have to equal bad. I don’t have to apply judgment to how something is.

[ongfreestyle]

...

[queerliberationtheologies]

Paying Attention To Detail: Latin American Liberation Theologies

Latin American Liberation Theology, or TLL, is fascinating, and I have to open by admitting my ignorance. I had a very narrow view of, very broadly speaking, Latin American culture as being overly Catholic and machismo, two ideas that I honestly have some degree of difficulty reconciling to fit my theology. I could not have been more wrong though. Yes, there are those certain elements present, but they are also present in varying degrees within just about every other society, so I was unfairly throwing out much of the wisdom and experience, capable of enriching my own theological perspectives because of a personal issue with certain perceived elements of culture. 

In light of my confession, one big lesson I took away from TLL is that it matters who is doing the talking, and paying attention to that is of crucial importance. This may seem obvious to others, as I feel it should have been to me, but, before this unit on TLL, I never really paid attention to who exactly was doing the theologizing. I trusted, naively, that whoever was writing, especially in cases of TLL, likely had the experience and a deep understanding of their subjects. Clearly, however, as in most theologies, that is not the case. A huge critique of this vein of theology comes from the fact that many see it as a theology about its queer subjects, which is, in this case, usually called “the poor.” (“Poor,” at least within this context, can be queered to include disenfranchised peoples who may not necessarily fit the description of financially poor.) So, I learned to always, always pay attention to who is speaking, what they are speaking about, and the different meanings these and other pieces convey to their intended audiences. 

I also quickly learned that many of the perceived issues I had with Latin American theology were largely the fault of colonial and capitalistic influences that made essential the work of men and male-dominated roles while minimizing the roles of women and relegating them to less visible spheres of society. Even though the services traditionally provided by women have seen an increase in demand that parallels the essentialization of the male-centered social and financial sectors. 

Another thing I learned is how to better articulate and understand new reasons for queering the bodies and stories of religious figures and how much the small details matter. The example I will use to demonstrate this point is that of the Virgin Mary in many Latin American cultures. Mary represents the ideal woman, a chaste, willing, and obedient servant of God and the perfect example of motherhood. So, to queer this sacred body that has so much influence on the perceptions and expectations society has of women, is to free women and other “queer” (queer here, similarly to “poor” earlier does not necessarily mean gay, it can also be expanded to include other disenfranchised groups) bodies.

[my-life-myself]

I can't....

Right before Christmas my sponsor gave our team a challenge, to read "How To Build Network Marketing Leaders Volume 1" by Big Al. The challenge was issued on the Friday before Christmas and we had to the Monday to finish it. If we finished it we would get added to a leadership book club group. At first I dismissed it, my husband and I had so much going with visiting families and families coming to visit us; but the challenge just sat in the back of my mind. Monday when I woke up, I started going over my day. We had family coming over for dinner, and a ton of work to get done, but that book was poking away at my brain. I had lots of reasons why I couldn't do it, there was house work to be done, I didn't own the book, family was going to be over in a few hours. Then I realized I was doing what my husband has been telling me I do, I kept finding reasons not to do things. So I asked myself is there a way I could do this and be done it within 2 hours? I wouldn't be able to make it to a store and back and read it before family came over so that was out, but then I remembered that I had signed up for audible a few months ago. I went and checked and they had it and it was only 2 & 1/2 hours long! So I downloaded it and listened to it while I tidied my house. Listening to that book made me realize that something had been missing from my life, personal development. Since then I have listened to 4 more personal development books, half a dozen Tony Robinson talks and different podcasts and I absolutely LOVE IT! I would have missed out on this chance for growth if I had continued to say I can't. How many other opportunities have I missed because I have thought 'I can't'? Since then I have been making the effort to catch myself in my 'I can't' and I change it to I can. To take the time to problem solve and find a solution. If I want to become a leader I have to loose this 'I can't' attitude!

[21stcenturyhieroglyphics-blog]

Changing my Perspective (Reflection)

If you have read the before and after poems, you know that the changes made in the poem, Changing my Perspective, were minuscule.

Now, if you READ the before and after poems of Changing my Perspective, you may have notice how much that change mattered. It made the poem flow much better and kept the overall feel of the poem.

It also made the last two lines in the poem that much more intense. By keeping the first three lines on the darker side, the last line seems to lift the entire poem.

I am very happy with the outcome of this poem, and I send a big thanks to my CW2 group for their feedback.

- Ruth

[21stcenturyhieroglyphics-blog]

Changing my Perspective (before editing)

I looked at the stars and hated them.

I looked at the dark blue sky and despised it.

I looked at the white fluff of clouds and became ill.

But then I looked at him,

and I melted.

- Ruth

[ash-theadventurer]

along with going vegan for the week, i'm also working on improving my own personal outlook and attitude.

for example, not saying anything about anyone or anything unless it's something positive, not having anger or feelings of dislike towards my dog, (or anyone else for that matter), and just generally trying to weed out any negativity that may be present in my life.

i have a lot of work to do.