PRACTICE: What do you feel, see, hear? How is this different from last week?
Most of you are thinking about the questions above following Christmas. I wish I had asked them last week. I wonder how they might have changed the trajectory of the hectic week – for most, a surfeit of too much of everything. I began asking this question at the beginning of the month. It permeated my decorating the house, mealtime, arising in the morning, sitting with legs crossed in meditation, fingers holding pen and moving across paper – what did I hear, see, feel, AND taste sometimes? I tried to squeeze the most out of the moments. The closer Christmas became, the less successful I became.
I find life – living- is akin to eating a meal. The worse meal can be forgotten when shared with great people and conversation in a comfortable and inviting place. What you heard, seeing the friends, and feeling love became the focal point not he meal. Transpose that same mentality on the interactions of each day, moment etc. The good interaction become sweeter, the bad ones less bitter, when one intentionally listens, looks carefully, and acknowledges in real time what is being felt. I know this to be true. I have tried to practice it this last month and had beautiful experiences and learned a bit about myself.
Sometimes I felt like lamenting. I now realize lamenting is connecting. Lamenting is a part of the meal.
When a bad meal is served – we first lament- then we move on to what connects us with what is important, the people and the conversation, laughter and wisdom gained. We receive from the experience a new thread to weave into the fabric of our life story and to give to them a thread as well. The same is true when the meal is good. Food sustains our physical bodies, people nurture and feed our souls.
Back to last week. Were you/are you too preoccupied, hands too full, mind racing too fast to hear, see, feel what this season might have offered? Purpose now to not let this be the case for this week and moving forward. When we stop, listen, see, and feel, just maybe we can catch a glimpse of a larger picture. When we pause, we can refocus on the things that reboot, rejuvenate, and resurrect our body and soul.
Psalm 34:8
PONDER THIS THOUGHT -- From the Dalai Lama, “There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday, and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, receive, do and mostly live.”
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