Danielle LaPorte's Interview of Me

At long last, the moment has arrived!

I was interviewed by Danielle LaPorte of the blog White Hot Truth. If you would like me to interview you, and post the interview on my blog, please read the rules HERE.

Danielle: How does one go about cultivating emptiness?

Ruth: I'll answer with a Senryu (Good Lord, that sounds pretentious!):

One Cultivates Emptiness...
...by not believing
the incessant (his)story
of conditioned mind.

Danielle: What are you having a hard time getting rid of?


Ruth: I'm not sure that it is possible to "get rid of" anything. I know that I've never succeeded, no matter how hard I've tried. And I've tried to get rid of all kinds of stuff: excess body weight, emotional outbursts, fear, pride, and countless other things. I've come to believe that there's something aggressive and violent about trying to get rid of what we don't like about ourselves.


What has been more effective for me is a process of displacement. For example, I replace behaviors that lead to excess body weight (such as eating mindlessly and lack of activity) with healthy behaviors (such as eating mindfully and exercising).


Another (more difficult, but even more effective) approach is to get to the root of the issue. For example, what is causing my emotional outbursts? (As opposed to the triggers, which appear to be outside of myself. It always helps to remember that the cause of my own destructive behavior is never outside of me, no matter how much it appears to be.)


And always, always, always, acceptance. In my life, acceptance (of the fat, of my periodic madness, of the fear, etc.) has allowed my to outgrow destructive habits and behaviors (rather than aggressively attempting to get rid of them).


Danielle: If you could say one thing to Barack Obama, what would it be?


Ruth:Congratulations, and best of luck! (OK, that's 2 things.)


Danielle: What's the one lesson in your life that keeps repeating itself?


Ruth:Let go.


Danielle: Best kiss happened, where?


Ruth:I'm confined to only one?


It was in my now-husband's car (which, if memory serves, was a little blue Datsun with a trunk that wouldn't stay shut without a bungee cord). I had met him that very day (I know, I shouldn't have gotten into a car with a man I just met, but my intuition said otherwise), and it was wonderful because it was our first kiss, but even more so because I wasn't expecting it.

End of Interview

So here's yet another invitation to play this game. If you have questions about the rules, please E-MAIL ME.

Of course, play or not, your comments are always welcome.