It's wonderful to see our #MorningCrew and #EveningCrew are now running at full steam, with regular shout-outs between 3am PDT/6am EDT and 6-8pm PDT/9-11pm EDT respectively. The OMC Twangha keeps growing strong!
Our midday togetherness shout-out at 11:30am PDT/2:30pm EDT had a super turnout with a special metta dedication from @patasdegallina to a friend in need. Many thanks to all who joined in!
And, while you are here, why not share your thoughts by answering...
Today's Community-Fostering Question:
Do you turn your everyday mishaps
into opportunities for practice?
Tell us how.
Namaste, Mucho Heavy Metta and Enjoy the Day, CREW! _/|\_ :-) \m/
Well... I wish I could say I do, but my first gut-reaction is getting pissed, worried, annoyed or all of the above.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have tried to do is make a habit of taking a deep breath as soon as I get some mental space and saying to myself; 'right now, it's like this'.
It's still to early to see any spectacular results, and I still find many situations where I simply forget about it and get carried away, but I'm hoping constant repetition will eventually help me build an habit of it.
On the good side, I've found that as soon as I remind me of that phrase things tend to fall back into place, and I end up spending my energy flowing with the situation and finding my way thru it, instead of wasting it in anger and bad moods.
_/|\_
I have gotten better at it as I age-When my kids were young they taught me the value of play and opportunity. The trick is realizing you will be a lot more comfortable if you can roll with things. Time teaches us that I think.
ReplyDeleteI remember once our RV broke down on a trip. At first we were all disappointed but then we went looking for the interesting things in the little town where we were stranded. As it turned out, it became a stop with memories. My sons are 29 & 31 and talk about our trip & its experiences to this day.
Three of us lived and travelled in our RV across USA for 2 years. We kept to off grid spots and we lived self reliantly mostly. It was an experience to remember (and learn) for us and our two sons aged 8 & 10. We home schooled-so our daily life WAS school.
When you view life as part of one's daily lessons-it can give you opportunities for reflection & learning in small details. The 'trick' is to 'see' them.
"Eager anticipation" is the approach I now feel in moments like those described. A feeling of looking forward to what comes next, even as I watch the hope/anticipation of what was or was to be is fading or failing. The whole 'one door closes, another opens' thing. Seems like I had several years where my living experience was filled with nothing but ops like that -- and now I feel as though the muscles required to watch it come and go are strong and flexible. Hallelujah.
ReplyDeleteI agree with KamikaZEN and others here, I try to do so, but its easier said than done. I have certainly found that losing my temper doesn't help things, nor does worrying too much, or having an excessively pessimistic attitude. What I think I need to work on is catching myself before the "escalation" starts (a word mentioned in our retreat). It does seem that sitting meditation helps with that.
ReplyDeleteSince I live alone, and rarely use any substances, it is hard for me to avoid myself through "partying" or focusing on others. I don't watch tv much - Twitter is probably my biggest distraction. I've learned to give myself time and space to make changes, but I think I'm still learning how to just be ok with whatever arises, and then proceed on from there.
Deep breaths are a big help :) Also taking time for some light-hearted fun after dealing with really heavy things. Thanks.