Martha and Mary; Doing and Being

 "Martha, Martha, You are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed-indeed, only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." 

Luke10:41-42

Back to the Videos:

I know, I know.  I said  was only going to come here every second day but I am here sometimes twice a day.  I guess, this is my vice, my addiction...my coping mechanism. Things are a little topsy turvy and adding this to my practice on a daily basis helps to stabilize me and balance me a bit.  It is so easy when we are "stressed" to become so "me" focused that we fail to see our connection with others outside the immediate situation we are dealing with.  Our worlds become small, narrow and confining.  Doing this writing and sharing as part of my practice is not only my "psychotherapy" but it also offers an attempt to extend outward away from "me-ness".  I am reminded of the "inter-beingness" of everything when I come here. 

With that in my mind, I was drawn back to the practice of answering questions that I began a few months ago.  The "50 ten minute answer" exercise that I participated in...more for my sake than others  allowed for this sense of "inter-beingness" to be established in my version of Life again. Even though I don't do much with these videos to promote or advertise...I still put them out there in the hope that they may also be of benefit to someone who may be looking for such an answer from a "non-expert". I let the universe decide how they are received.  :) 

Anyway, so here I am, answering questions once again in my imperfect, non-expert way.  The videos are also imperfect being that I do not have a video editing program on this new computer.  So they are coming to you fresh off the camera. 

Martha And Mary / Doing and Being

The Question: What is the parable of Martha And Mary all about and what has it got to do with mindfulness? 

From a spiritual point of view, the difference between Martha and Mary in the biblical story was that Martha was distracted by preparing what was needed for Jesus while He was visiting them, and Mary chose the "better part" by sitting at His feet and listening.  Being mind is the contemplative life path, and doing mind is the active life path.

Marsha Linehan, from the DBT Skills Training Manual: Second Edition, page157. (2017, Guilford: New York)

All is well in my world.