Cultivation

I am setting myself some big goals this year.  It is to be a year in which mettle will be tested -  a crucible year.

The key component of my agenda this year is to be a set of ten goals, each representing a definite step toward the achievement of a long-held dream or ambition.  I’d like to set forth the first couple here, in hopes that I may be able to derive some support from the process – whether that takes the form of encouragement or counsel from my readership, or even just the increase in personal commitment I always feel after having written something down somewhere.

Goal #1

Learn some Latin.  The language of empires both spiritual and temporal, and one firmly entrenched in nearly every branch of scholarship thereby, Latin has always seemed to me to be covered with a patina of ancient and venerable associations far thicker and more distinguished than any other tongue.  I have long wanted to add such a relic to my collection, and this year I’ll actually do something about it.  While I recognize that learning a language is a big job, and have intentionally left this goal a bit vague, I am determined to acquire more than the handful of vestigial phrases known to so many – (e.g. - in medias res, non sequitur, deus ex machina, etc.)  – I won’t be satisfied until I have at least a small vocabulary and the grammatical knowledge to string it together extemporaneously.

 

Goal #2

Go at least one entire month without saying a single unkind word. If you haven’t spent much time around me, you may not realize how incredibly difficult I am likely to find this goal.  No toxic tirades directed at drivers who inspire my road rage.  No muttered imprecations aimed at our worthless and vexatious kittens.  No snarky critiques or comments.  Not even a little innocuous self-deprecation.  I consider this to be my own idiosyncratic approach to cultivating the divine state of Metta, or loving kindness toward other beings.  I may not have much natural generosity of spirit, so I must attempt to train my spirit by first training my words.

I’m planning on making my first attempt in February, both because it is the shortest month and because it will afford me plenty of subsequent chances should my first attempt fail…

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