Day 18 - D-Day or Discernment Day
Today, day 18 of this peace journey on wheels. Knowing when it's wise to push on regardless or decide if it's more compassionate and even peaceful to hold back, for those around you and for yourself.
Today, although it's been a tough call, after 18 days of concerted and consistent efforts to make the daily 40k for peace and contemplative reflection around peace, I made that call. The peaceful decision and my reflection for the day make one and the same. A time to rest, rejuvenate and conserve both physical and emotional energy, as well as reserving capacity, for those who need us most when they may be Struggling.
And sometimes we make a call to push on regardless.
Discernment, on and this day, for me, is about weighing up the options, bringing in compassion for self and others and making the wisest, most informed choice. This involves compromise, sometimes letting go or holding back, for the greater good. This relates to all peace efforts wherever they are and who ever is making them.
Yes, it means getting half of the kilometres (20) on a static bike at home, while not feeling great at all but it's effort and it's symbolic and its movement nonetheless with reflection. Two wee girls not feeling well during the day, and now two parents being hit by some type of bug going around. Pushing beyond a limit just for the sake of it is compassionate to no-one in this situation and showing comprise and discernment can be seen as a strength and received as one, to go again tomorrow with new energy, and collectedness, not deflation.
40k per day in this case is not an expectation but an aspiration and so I aim to become less attached to the outcome and more the journey. This is not making me less ambitious as I want the journey to be a great one and so far, it has been! Not far from halfway there now. It's not a short-term race or stroke of the ego but part of a long-term 'Turas' (type of journey in Irish) with many steps and opportunities for learning along the way.
Shane O’Connor
