Clara Bohan, wrote about the wise “white buffalo,” sacred to the Lakota as well as other Plains Tribes, such as the Apache and Cheyenne. White buffalo’s bring us a message. Read Clara’s blog if you want to know the message, but what we reference here at FriendtoYourself.com, is the embrace of magical thinking with an indian wearing sunglasses beside a plastic banner. I love it.
The oxymoron is no more inappropriate than the oxymoron we find in becoming our own best friend. In yesterday’s post, bluebee called it “schizophrenic,” which means a “broken mind.”
Self-care is an oxymoron at every turn. Love ourselves the way we are. Love ourselves too much to stay that way. Are you okay with that?
Sometimes I say that calling myself a “Christian psychiatrist” is an oxymoron because I know emotions and behaviors come from the brain, yet I believe in outside input, or what many call magic and unscientific. My own white buffalo.
Getting comfortable with the oxymorons in our life is a friendly thing to do. We are not so perfectly collected, so well-designed and well-defended that we will ever be above the magic each of us consider, quality of life. We could describe this in part as having a flexible identity for our own safety. If we take away the oxymoron, we threaten our hope-factor in life. We die as anything does that doesn’t move.
So there’s our tip.
Questions – What oxymorons are serving you well? How?
Have you hugged your oxymoron today?
Related articles
- The Cowardly Lion, An Oxymoron (livincreatively.wordpress.com)
- Great White Buffalo Returns (minx.cc)
- Demanding Freedom and Other Oxymorons That Empower Our Self-Care (friendtoyourself.com)
- Lightning Medicine Cloud (clarbojahn.wordpress.com)
- Pendleton to Sell White Buffalo-Hair Blankets (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)
I’m going to find somebody else’s oxymoron to hug, because I feel a right moron today …
i thought i felt someone nice snuggle me
Dr. J-Q: My response is to Thank God that you are who you are! A Christian Psychiatrist, yes. An oxymoron, no. We are more than our brain chemicals, nerves, transmitters, hormones, all the chemicals & DNA in side the human body. I call it the “spirit” that transcends the human understanding. It is that spirit that ‘connects’ us to each other & gives us those glimpses of eternity. The spirit cannot be measured, analyzed or seen under a microscope. We are more than sum of our parts. We are called to be more on this earth. Oxymoron, no – a complex, intricately and uniquely creation – yes! Thank God!!!!!
jean, thank u. I am grateful to Him too.
I have found vast insight, healing, and comfort in Christian Science. Is that an oxymoron? At first sight yes, but not in actuality. I am not an adherent but the spiritualism connecting mind, body and life style makes a great deal of sense. Mary Baker Eddy seems more full of the Spirit than most of the notables. Knowledge of philosophy and religion re health and healing is an important part of an education in psychology and psychiatry as well as general practice. Alas, this aspect is too often dismissed.
i don’t know much about the church of Christian Science. I think that’s what’s referred to as “Scientology?” I have heard and read some disconnected versions about their ?opinion about psychotropics which has triggered me before but i have never corroborated any of it. i like what u said though and any of us can see how easily we turn from anger to smiles on the pin of simple words. i agree that knowledge is not separated from material to imaterial. keep on carl.
Getting comfortable with the oxymorons in our life is a friendly thing to do. – you know the saying if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! You’re one “oxymoron” we just love! If you really think about it much in life is that way, keeps things interesting to say the least!
big smile! thank u suz.
I didn’t see the contradiction in terms till you pointed it out to me. As Suzicate says there are so many of those in life that we might as well be flexible about it. And also being a friend to one’s self.
Thank you for the shout out. I appreciate it.
u bet clar. i always love the free ride (smile and wink).
Finding it difficult to like anyone or anything, especially myself recently. Life seems to be an oxymoron. I’m with Cindy. If I absolutely have to I’ll go hug someone else’s oxymoron although even that doesn’t sound very appealing.
nancy girl. i’m so glad to hear from u. any d we get your notes, regardless of the “healthy” or “ill” condition u find yourself in, is important to us. sometimes when we don’t feel good, we only see those same yucky feelings around us and find it harder to believe in anything better – but don’t believe it! keep talking.
I’m not sure if it’s an oxymoron, but the Dalai Lama teaches us that to be happy, we should forget our own wants and help someone else.
Speaking of our indigenous people, I have written some about the people native to my area, the Osage. Here’s an oxymoron excerpt:
“Before battles, or even before planned robberies of intruders, they would mourn the disharmony they were about to create. The mourning continued after the disharmonious events also.”
Full post here:
http://kansasmediocrity.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/osage-warriors/
You can chose the tag Osage, or Native Americans for more history.
thank u kansas. that’s a great a great excerpt. i respect the idea that sometimes we must make a choice between stink and stinky but in all things to surrender what we r powerless to to our Higher Power. awesome. i’m off to ck out your blog post. can’t wait. but did want to ask u how u bring together the recs from Dalai w the idea of self-care where we take care of ourselves believing then we will b able to care for others better? keep on.
I’m not quite sure what you’re asking? A short dissertation on how the Dali Lama or Buddhists practices and beliefs relate to taking care of one’s self?
How short? Smile.
By asking how short, I guess that means yes?
You answered a question with another question.
Very short.
I believe Christ preached the same things.
Basically, they say to not worry about yourself. Give yourself away, make your agenda helping others. By helping others, you will be happy.
You know the christian scriptures: Sell your belongings and follow him, don’t worry about what you wear or own, hasn’t The Lord provided for the birds and animals?, he will do the same for you!, the eye of the needle, etc.
thanks kansas.
Christian Psychiatrist. I know lots of your kind. Many would consider this an oxymoron. Yet, it isn’t really. The reverse may be more so. After all, how much better does a psychiatrist who knows our Creator personally understand the troubles of our mind? Blessings to you, Sana…
u do? very cool.
true, the reverse could also b considered conflicted.
oh those wonderful blessings. thnks carol.