I was running to answer the phone with a laundry basket at my hip. A familiar and friendly “hello, how are you?” greeted me. My response was “I am busy today.” We spent five minutes complaining of this week’s busyness and how overwhelmed these experiences made us feel. I’ve noticed lately my days have an undercurrent of worry flowing through them. Is it these collection of experiences that keep me just ahead of the chaos? Since when did busyness define me? It was that phone call which brought me back in touch with an old friend…Mindfulness. It was a reminder of our interconnectedness in Not-Knowing. In that each one of us, “not fully understanding” is an essential part of the human condition.
At its most basic the Tao is about existing fully in the present moment. We all struggle to find this freedom. We either live in the good or bad memories of the past. We reach away from our current situations in hopes that change would bring us happiness…when in fact we may still be unhappy even if we get the change we are searching for. We often believe that rushing from task-to-task is the most efficient way to get things done. Some drive themselves so fast they fail to see their way of living is an illusion.
Mindfulness is an invitation to happiness because happiness resides but only in this very moment. It calls me to look into the nature of experience itself. So can I just start today? After all, it is a practice. When I lose touch with this very moment I have the gift of starting over. When I choose trust over worry my tasks become clearer and easier to execute. I try to approach each task slow and deliberate. The most important change I’ve made is doing less. I’m practicing my ability to say no. It’s a matter of figuring out what’s important, and letting go of what’s not. My heart can open to the inherent meaning in this moment. My 7 month old son, Devin, is sitting quietly in my lap. What a lovely moment. In fact, I’m going to take some time off right now just to be with him. Peace, Tara
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