Squash blossom
(down Santa Barbara way )
in the solstice dawn.
Photo by Silani Wahlgren.I'M TALKING. CAN I HEAR MYSELF?
In the Byron Katie work, one of the joys is the "turn around" section. After asking the four questions, which loosen up our minds about first, the set-in-stone idea we have about our story, and second, give us the alternative of how we are when we attach to the belief and how we are when we don't, the final trump is this : What is the "turn around" to your story/ belief/ thought? (As usual, you can't go wrong refreshing your heart mind and soul at
thework.com.)
So, Marlie should listen more, becomes I should listen more. Other people should be more conscious becomes, I should be more conscious. George Bush shouldn't go to war, becomes I shouldn't go to war in my mind with George Bush.
It ends up, all the good advice we are giving to the world is meant at least for one person, and that person is ourselves.
Cool.
So, I wrote an essay (
You are alive: the miracle of it all ) for here a few days ago, on slowing down and getting outside. It was an essay on coming back to center and slowness and earth during the holiday madness.
I sent it off to the two newspapers in town, and two days ago it appeared as a column in one paper, and yesterday as a letter in the other.
It was actually easier to read as a column, less words per line, and I was yesterday reading a part of the essay to Marlie about "slowing down" and not being a slave to our "to do" lists.
Now it just so happened I was about to rush off and drive half an hour to go buy some maybe needed presents, maybe not, and was sort of pumped up to "get this out of the way." This is a good sign that we are out of reality, when we start thinking of the next thing in our day as something to "get over with" rather than something we are looking forward to in its own right.
So, here I am pumped and ready to race off and get something off my "to do" list (you know, the one we carry around like a ball and chain in our minds), and I read these wise words about how little we are in the present, and how often we are slaves to past regrets or to worries or to the famous "to do" list.
Even if the words had been written by me a couple of days ago, they were written in a calm and happy state, so it was a different me than the revved up, let's get in the car and get this done guy who was reading them.
And I thought: this is true.
I don't need to do this.
I'd rather slow down and watch the sun a little, during the time of day it is delightful in the room in which I was reading this fine advice of mine to me. Slow down, watch the sun, talk to Marlie, and find some things easier and more local and delightful to do by riding my bike.
So that's what I did.
I slowed down and had a wonderful afternoon. To hell with the "to do" list. The old saying is oft overused and so what: we are not human doings, we are human beings.
Love yourself and your self in a body and your breathing and what you are seeing and hearing and sensing right now. Take it slow. You are worth it.
(Note. The essays are rotating through the three blogs, more or less one per day.
So you might want to check:
WakeUp Feldenkrais®
and
Tai Chi Yoga Health Weight Loss Joy
for the last two essays.)
Labels: Byron Katie work, laughing at ourselves, listening
