Do you feel guilty? What does it take to make you feel that.          .          . because a lot of times, I think if somebody accuses me that the world is in the place that it is right now it’s my fault, which is more than somebody gaslighting me; I mean, I actually feel guilty for just about everything. Maybe that’s something I need to work on more than just blog about, but when I read the piece below it makes me feel even more guilt, not for what I’ve done, not for who I am, but for what I haven’t done and maybe even what I can’t do and yes, for who I am not quite possibly never will be. Do you feel guilty?  GUILTY as charged, even if it’s a self-inflicted charge, even if you are your own jury, your own peer, your judge, and your executioner.         .         .what say you foreman of the Jury:  ARE YOU GUILTY?  HAVE YOU DIED TO SELF?

Dying to self

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don’t sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy.     .     .
THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take in all in patient, loving silence.        .        .
THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, or any annoyance; when you stand face-to- face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility-and endure it.      .      .
THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any raiment, any interruption.        .        .
THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good works, or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown.         .          .
THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances.          .          .
THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart.           .          .
THAT IS DYING TO SELF

Are you dead yet?  Feeling Guilty?

Maybe what you need to do is read Thomas Merton‘s prayer to take the burden of Guilt off of you, not that you’re exonerated, not that you’re free, but sometimes the worst prison isn’t the one that somebody condemns you to, but the one that you put yourself in and throw away the key or maybe it’s time to find the key, or at least something to pick the lock. Yeah, be guilty of that.       .       .

My Fellow GUILTY FEELERS maybe it’s time, maybe