This is cathartic. A grounding of the self where one pauses to reflect on the direction that his or her's life is going towards. Oftentimes as we go about our daily routines, we forget who we really are and it's important to stand still every once in a while to catch our breath.
A discussion with yourself can go a long way in developing a more honest and aware state of being. This is a necessary step and a much advocated one within the practise of Buddhism.
A few weeks ago, I had been reading a book that brought up the philosophy of mindfulness. In it, there was a quote that I was impressed by.
What did your face look like before your parents were born?
Having been derived from what is known as a "koan" which is defined as "a paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution" I found myself thinking about the meaning behind it.
What did my original face look like before my parents were born? The thinking behind such a question entails an assumption that we existed prior to birth. The question itself prompts one to consider the transformative nature of external influence and it's affect on the development of personality.
This is a tricky thing to answer, because on one hand, it implies that personality did not exist and that the "original face" is a homogenous attribute which every human being shares. On the other, however, it leads one to question how much emotional baggage are we actually carrying around.
No one can ever figure out what their original faces look like, yet the contemplation of such a question does lead one to discover and seek out answers. Quite possibly being the intent of such a riddle to begin with.
So with that in mind, I have been prompted to look more deeply into Buddhism for ways to incorporate it into my life. One thing that I am extremely interested in is to practise living in the moment and that is why I have taken it upon myself to air out my thoughts each night in bed.
There's something incredibly useful about having a heart-to-heart with your own self. There is a sense of knowing when you are being untruthful about what you think is a "need" of yours, rather than a "want". The discussion prompts a number of epiphanies that can help round out your perspective and awareness of your place in life.
One of the most important things that I think every person should learn, is being able to develop the ability to "slow down" and remain objective about whatever it is they are experiencing. This kind of approach does not in fact, take you out of a moment but it does help in triggering an honest and rational assessment of what is taking place.
This is why I'm interested in websites like this.
Where else can you find a quote that says "Minimal effort is a worthy aspiration. Lie down and think about it."
The odd part of it is, it's true. Living your life effortlessly is an ideal way of countering stress, becoming more sensitive towards yourself as well as others, and it can become quite empowering when you remove an expectation that society has levied against it's population. To be busy, to make effort and to push yourself towards change.
Perhaps that is the right way to go about things. Avoiding effort does not necessarily mean you give in to being lazy, all it means is that you start to flow in the direction that feels right for you. Think about the time you may have written a story, gone for a walk or did something that you enjoy. These actions came from effortlessness. They do not contradict your motivation and expectations of what you hope to achieve from life. They serve to reaffirm them.
There is something to be said about living your life this way. To slow things down and appreciate the awareness of being alive. To not dwell on the past or the future, but rather on what is happening at the present.
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."
Being caught up in the throes of thinking about my ex-girlfriend, I NEED to master this approach to living.
I am reminded of a time two years ago during the winter when I drove on treacherous icy roads, white-knuckled hands on the wheel hoping that I wouldn't slide out and end up in a ditch. I pushed forward with clenched teeth, worrying and waiting for some calamity to befall me. Yet, I somehow broke free from this kind of thinking and relaxed myself. I calmly took hold of the wheel and drove with such gentleness and assurance that I ended up surprising myself. It almost felt as if the car and I had merged into one.
It was a moment that had left an indelible impression.
With that, here is a list of suggestions from http://slowdownnow.org/ that might prove useful should you be interested in exploring this particular kind of philosophy:
| How to Slow Down |
1. Drink a cup of tea, put your feet up and stare idly out of the window. Warning: Do not attempt this while driving. 2. Do one thing at a time. Remember multitasking is a moral weakness (except for women who have superior brain function.) 3. Do not be pushed into answering questions. A response is not the same as an answer. Ponder, take your time. 4. Learn our Slow Manifesto. 5. Yawn often. Medical studies have shown lots of things, and possibly that yawning may be good for you. 6. Spend more time in bed. You have a better chance ofcultivating your dreams (not your aspirations.) 7. Read the slow stories. 8. Spend more time in the bathtub. (See letter from Major Smythe-Blunder.) 9. Practice doing nothing. (Yes this is the difficult one.) 10. Avoid too much seriousness. Laugh, because you're only alive on planet earth for a limited time. I totally agree with #6. Especially if someone naked is involved. Today is also the first day of BROCKTOBER.
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