Tuesday, March 6, 2012

ᏏᏴᏫ

Ꭷ ᏂᎦᏓᏊ

I have been accused of putting others first but I know I am very self centered. I do try and do for others and sometimes I get carried away and put my family or myself second. It's a hard balance in this modern world. My model is in need of an update, but the foundation is firm.

ᎢᎬᏱᎢ myself ᎠᏯ, that must be my priority to serve others.

ᏔᎵᏁᎢ my family ᏏᏓᏁᎳ, my immediate family that depend on me, that I depend on most outside myself.

ᏦᎢᏁᎢ my extended family ᏗᎩᏴᏫ, it was historically my clan and potentially at one time for my ancestors it came before my wife and children.

ᏅᎩᏁᎢ my community ᏗᎦᏚᎲᎢ, it was my ᎪᏛ or ᎠᏥᎸ the place where I would have lived, danced and lived my life. Now I see that as my grounds.

ᎯᏍᎩᏁᎢ my people ᎦᏥᏴᏫᏯ, my tribe or my nation. It was rooted in a shared ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ, ᎦᏓ ᎤᎾᏤᎵ, ᏧᏂᏴᏫ and ᏗᎧᏃᎮᏓ ᏗᎧᏃᏩᏛᏍᏗ.

ᏑᏓᎵᏁᎢ humanity ᏂᎦᏓ ᎠᏂᏴᏫ, no devision of race or gender, just humans that share ᎦᏓ, ᎠᎹ, ᎤᏃᎴ and ᎠᏥᎸ. At one time we were four different clans but that was once replace by ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᏧᏂᏴᏫ. Now most of us have gone back to the four original clans.

ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁᎢ all living things ᎠᏅᏃᏓ.

These things are not cut and dry. To serve others I must serve myself and to serve myself I must serve all others. ᎣᏏᏳ

ᎠᏯ ᏩᏕ ᏥᎪᏪᎸᎦ

1 comment:

Jessica M said...

I think you say it all when you say "To serve others I must serve myself and to serve myself I must serve all others."

A spiritual teacher that I've been inspired by and read a lot from, Eknath Easwaran, encourages people not to feel guilty when taking the time to dig deep within themselves via meditation and other spiritual pursuits because when we bear fruit within and cultivate peace in our own selves then we cause fruit to be born in all other areas of our lives. It's important to have a balance. :)