The Softening
Suavizar--por Richard Rudd
La suavidad es uno de los grandes secretos de toda práctica espiritual.
Cuando nos volvemos blandos, nos volvemos como el agua.
Dejamos que la vida venga a nosotros.
Confiamos en su fluir y nos dejamos llevar en la dirección que elija.
Este es el verdadero poder porque proviene del amor, y el amor es la cosa más suave del universo y, sin embargo, es la más poderosa.
Cuando suavizas tu actitud hacia ti mismo, hacia los demás y hacia la vida, liberas la sabiduría natural que reside en tu interior.
Tu cuerpo se ablanda, tus pensamientos se ablandan y tu corazón se ablanda.
A través de la suavidad, encuentras claridad y propósito sin necesidad de forzar nada.
Tu vida se convierte en un desarrollo suave en lugar de una batalla constante.
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Qué significa para ti suavizar? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de una época en la que te ablandaste y pudiste liberar la sabiduría natural dentro de ti? ¿Qué te ayuda a desarrollarte suavemente en lugar de estar en una batalla constante?
Richard Rudd es profesor, místico y poeta.
Richard Rudd is a teacher, mystic and poet.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What does softening mean to you? Can you share a personal story of a time you softened and were able to release the natural wisdom within you? What helps you gently unfold instead of being in a constant battle?
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22 Past Reflections
On Jan 26, 2025 Marc wrote :
Radical Acceptance and beeing curious and kind in situations. To be soft enough to get in touch with the things as they are.
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On Jan 25, 2025 Shipra wrote :
This is a sweet validation for me. For some weeks, I have been practicing 'No resistance and no insistence'. This is an antidote for me to fight years of conditioning of being excellent, hard-working, punctual, in control of the outcomes, efficient, productive, and whatnot. I remind myself of the river when I get stuck somewhere. The river does not resist the boulders, never does it insist. It just figures out the way, sometimes from around the boulders, sometimes taking them along, it just knows to flow. When a negative emotion grips me, I don't try to fight it out nowadays as I used to do earlier. Nor do I victimize myself, I will just be there. And wait for the emotion to get over, having some time alone helps. Softening makes me listen to the silence inside.
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On Jan 21, 2025 Steven Crisp wrote :
This really spoke to me. Busy going through my inbox, it just grabbed hold of something inside me. Spoke to me. Resonated and felt true. It pierced many of my own narratives: Diligence. Hard work. Conviction. Stick-to-itiveness. It quickly, well, "softened" me.
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On Jan 21, 2025 Cee wrote :
This is not so much a reflection but a deep sense of gratitude for Mr. Rudd's profound words regarding the softness of awareness. The disappearance of hard edges and pointy bits being the result of acceptance and abiding. Thank you Mr. Rudd.
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On Jan 21, 2025 stream wrote :
Oh wow! the message 0f this article is synchronistically amazingly timely for me. It came in the same batch of emails with a message from a man who has been " ghosting " me for it seems over a year. My initial emotional response felt "hard" ( I guess defensive).
Now, I am beginning to pay attention to my reactiveness and return to my breathing and my
mantra of " I forgive myself, I forgive everybody and everything else" and I will take the time to "soften" more today, to allow myself to find what my heart and soul really want to say and discover what I really want from this man and more significantly what I need from this interaction. So, I am grateful for receiving Richard Rudd's article and for the other reflections I have read. Mahalo
Now, I am beginning to pay attention to my reactiveness and return to my breathing and my
mantra of " I forgive myself, I forgive everybody and everything else" and I will take the time to "soften" more today, to allow myself to find what my heart and soul really want to say and discover what I really want from this man and more significantly what I need from this interaction. So, I am grateful for receiving Richard Rudd's article and for the other reflections I have read. Mahalo
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On Jan 21, 2025 Daniel wrote :
The first thing that came to my mind was surrender. Most of my adult life was consumed with addiction. I had to surrender/softened in order to let life penetrate my soul.
When I softened my grip and let go, I naturally experienced the miracles in life.
I never realized that a life of love and compassion could be so strong yet soft..
When I softened my grip and let go, I naturally experienced the miracles in life.
I never realized that a life of love and compassion could be so strong yet soft..
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On Jan 21, 2025 Gururaj wrote :
As I have moved into senior citizen hood , and thanks also to still prevailing traditions , I often sense a softness in the response of service providers and any public person i come across and request help from.
Speaking of myself , a feeling of gratefulness and sufficiency in me helps to manifest softness towards others apart from the usual trigger of the vulnerability and innocence in the other person
Speaking of myself , a feeling of gratefulness and sufficiency in me helps to manifest softness towards others apart from the usual trigger of the vulnerability and innocence in the other person
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On Jan 19, 2025 Rashmi Kulshreshtha wrote :
I believe that we human should always be helpful for each other that is the basic requirement for our country existence.
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On Jan 17, 2025 Victoria Crawford wrote :
I am drawn to softness....the softness found in feathers, my dog's fur, my granddaughter's long hair that I hold as I put it into a pony tail. Softness feels respectful to me. It allows for space. When I think of softness with people, soft eyes come to mind. Eyes that see clearly and yet eyes that are kind, receptive and understanding....perhaps compassionate is the word.
I open when around softness. I open my mind, heart, and my body relaxes. As I reflect on softness, the word 'peace' comes to mind...... it's a peaceful word.
I open when around softness. I open my mind, heart, and my body relaxes. As I reflect on softness, the word 'peace' comes to mind...... it's a peaceful word.
1 reply: Stream | Post Your Reply
On Jan 17, 2025 David Doane wrote :
Rudd's statement is medicine for me. For me, softness means: allowing, being at ease, comfortable with my truth and with what is, openness, acceptance of self and other and the situation, equanimity. Softness is not weak and not indifferent; softness is strong while being at ease and caring. I'm aware of still becoming more soft in general and more soft in my releasing the natural wisdom within. I have not been good at that . I'm critical. I'm a pusher and arguer. Softness may be the last attribute I consider spiritual to be developing in me, and I think it is a fundamental one. For me to be soft it seems necessary for me to be conscious of being soft, being calm, gently unfolding instead of being in a constant battle. I remind myself to be soft, and sometimes am that way. After years of attention to emotional and spiritual growth, softness is the most difficult for me to embody and be.
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On Jan 17, 2025 BarbaraS. wrote :
What helps me gently unfold is meditation and coming back to my breath. Softening to what emotions emotions come up, softening to just being there to listen to someone, softening to look at the beauty around me, softening to see beauty, pain, loss, suffering, joy, and happiness in others. It's all part of this existence. If we can alleviate suffering in someway, we must try.
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On Jan 16, 2025 Catherine Carney-Feldman wrote :
The first time I had breast cancer was when I was 48. It was invasive and had spread to my lymph nodes . I had no idea of the outcome. Up until then I had a very tough and independent approach to life and challenges. I was always the care giver and helped anyone in need. What I discovered when I had cancer, that accepting help from others brought them joy. Accepting help was not a sign of weakness but came from acceptance. Being soft can be a sign of true strength. Being vulnerable is admitting being human and connects me to those around me in a deep and meaningful way.
3 replies: Barbaras., David, Barbaras. | Post Your Reply
On Jan 16, 2025 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
The passage The Softening authored by Richrd Rudd is very illuminating to me. It reminds me of the saying Simple Living And High Thinking. Our simple living can be enriching and fulfilling. Our basic needs to survive and enhance our living are very few. Sadly we are not content with what we have. We ask for more and more material things and possessions. We believe the more we have, the more merry and happy we will be. The thirst for having more possessions is rarely quenched.The more possessions we have the less we become fulfilled.
We need to be aware of this hunger and thirst for more material possessions. There is no end to this thirst.
Before I came to the US, we were relatively poor. However, we had inward richness, inner wealth of peace, joy, fulfillment and gratification.
When I came to the richest country in the world I saw inward poverty.I believe in living a balanced life. Living in a balanced way I feel happy, peaceful and fulfilled.
I believe there is light of awa... [View Full Comment]