Saturday, May 5, 2012

Devotion: “Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things.” Albert Einstein


Devotion:  Definition: love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, cause or activity
                  Synonym: loyalty, dedication, attachment, adherence, piety

A devotion to someone or something can be a healthy thing in our lives, or it can be a destructible one.  A healthy devotion can cause us to move, to change, to grow in a positive way~  leading the way for happiness, contentment, a sense of reason.  The opposite can cause harm, pain, sadness, ~ leading the way for collapse, ill health and poor mental health.

What would make devotion to something or to someone healthy?  Looking into my own life, my devotion to my work causes me to feel fulfilled.  It  is the reason that I get up when I don’t feel like it on weekdays, as I know that once I get there and am with the people that I care for and those who care for me, I will have  a good day.  Sharing a smile with a client will cause that client to feel love and will react with love.  My devotion to J, (I often refer to him as “my J”),  brought me to this Metropolitan City that I live in, it had me driving from 00:30am to 02:45am every weekend to get to him before the move.  It drives me now to provide him the support that he needs to be successful in a new job.  It is the driving force behind me being faithful.  My devotion to my faith is what I am struggling with right now. Again.  I will get it back and it will become a part of me once again.   

I have seen what I would call misplaced devotion- devotion to alcoholism, illicit drug use, food, work- and what it caused in the lives of those who experienced it.  My own misplaced devotion to food caused me to eat mindlessly, to fill the void that is there, in the pit of my stomach. This caused me to gain weight, which lead me to feeling bad about myself, which then took me on a downward spiral of depression.  It was only when I was able to put that misplaced devotion to food- what it tastes like, how it made me feel-  to a devotion of eating more fresh, organic, less carbs, more pure foods  that I am to overcome the urge for fresh, hot French fries with a piece of hot, fresh baked squash! I feel better, am losing some of the weight and am learning to love my outside me as much as my inside me.

What can we do take to be devoted or to add devotion to our lives? 
Find something or someone to believe in.   Find your higher power and talk.  Pray.  Spend time doing something for a special person in your life ~ creating a wonderful dining experience for a spouse out of their favorite foods, just to say that you love them , to me would be an act of devotion.  (Especially if you cook your least favorite foods that they absolutely love!)  Be that loyal friend:  hold their hand, give them that supportive hug that is needed. 

“Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.”
Morihei Ueshiba

“True strength lies in submission which permits one to dedicate his life, through devotion, to something beyond himself.
Henry Miller

1 comment:

  1. Devotion is definitely one of those things that can be wonderful or very bad, depending on how it is expressed and to what it extent it goes. I agree with you that to do special things for someone you love is beautiful and meaningful, it says I care about you! But to deny everything we are in order to be what someone else wants us to be, or to become a devoted servant/follower of someone who is evil... that's obviously not good at all. Self-sacrifice is admirable IF it leads to a higher good, and not just to subjugation to another. I am devoted to my husband beyong measure, he is my heart, my soul, and my life, but I am not again ever willing to abandon who I am and what I am about for him or any other. I think to do so is to surrender the gifts you were meant to share with the world that are uniquely yours. Very thought provoking post... a good one!

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