SURFING LESSONS
Surfing Lesson #1
I know I'm not telling you anything new when I say
life has its ups and downs. That's just the way life is. Sometimes
it can seem as though you got stuck on a roller coaster and all you
can do is hang on. When those times come, there is one thing of which
you can be certain - there is something there for you to learn, and
whatever it is, it's probably important. At least that's how it has
been for me.
So what can we do when the tough times come? One
of my favorite quotes is from Jon Kabat-Zinn: "You can't control
the waves, but you can learn to surf."(1) I first came across
that statement when I was on a huge emotional roller coaster, and
I have to say, that thought was like a life raft for me. It meant
there was something I could do that would make it easier to keep afloat.
It meant there was a way to rise above - even transcend - the challenge
which seemed so overwhelming at the time.
The good news, of course - and I know you already
know this - is that if that's true for me, it's true for you, too.
So let's start practicing right now. Let's be stalwart
in our journey, accepting - perhaps even embracing - what life brings
as best we can. Just learning to do that is one of life's big lessons.
It's one of the ways we learn to surf.
Surfing Lesson #2
I recently came across a quote by Sri Ramana Maharshi
that spoke to my heart: "If one is firm in the belief that a
Higher Power guides us, there need not be any concern about what happens."(2)
I find that comment particularly relevant since
we do tend to stew and fret over what might happen. Thus we drag the
past along with us by worrying about the future. When we do this,
we never get to be where we are. We never get to enjoy this moment.
We never get to be here.
It gets a lot easier to accept what life brings
(surfing lesson #1 - remember?) if we can just learn to stay in the
present moment. Most of the time, what we dread or worry about doesn't
happen anyway, so we've spent all that energy and used up all that
time fretting over something that never came to pass. Not only that,
whether the event ever actually materialized or not, we still reaped
the harvest of our thoughts through all the anxiety we experienced.
It can be challenging to stay in the present moment,
but that really is the best - and the safest - place to be. If we
look at it closely, usually nothing is wrong with this moment. So
instead of thinking about what might happen, let's just consciously
enjoy being where we are (surfing lesson #2), and see the difference
it can make.
Surging Lesson #3
I don't know if it's the cultural climate we're
in or not, but I'm hearing more and more how very stressed people
are feeling, how things are piling up and they just can't seem to
get it all done. I have to admit I understand thoroughly where they're
coming from. I've been there, done that, and believe me, the price
for living that way is much too high.
If you're experiencing this, too, how can you get
on top of all the pressures that seem to be weighing on you? Here
are some things to consider that should help:
1. To begin with, we need to realize that "pressure"
is purely an inside job. Feeling pressured is always self-induced
and is a tremendous waste of energy. Urgency, pushing, gunning your
engines, keeping the pedal to the floor are actually counter productive
in that they consume far more energy than is necessary to get things
done, and they deplete your system in the process. So regardless of
how much there is to do, ease up on the inside!
2. Focus on what you are doing and let the rest wait.
In other words, do one thing at a time. Think about one thing at a
time. By that I mean - keep your attention in the present moment instead
of continually thinking ahead to the next thing. By approaching one
thing at a time, by giving it your best without trying to rush through
it, your efficiency actually increases and your body doesn't suffer
for it. Not only that, your energy level has a much better chance
of remaining stable. As one of my favorite sages once said, "If
the mind is controlled, all else can be controlled."(2)
3. Life in the fast lane leaves little time for deliberation,
even less for just simply being. When we try to shovel so much into
our lives, it becomes suffocating.(3) We need to make peace with the
fact that it just isn't going to be possible to have it all or do
it all during this one lifetime. So slow down and enjoy the gifts
each moment brings, knowing that truly, you lack nothing.
4. B-r-e-a-t-h-e. Breathe deeply. Breathe slowly.
No matter what you're doing, you can still breathe slowly (unless,
of course, you're exercising). Breathing consciously helps keep your
attention in the present moment and gives your system the extra prana
(energy) it needs to be able to maintain all this high level activity
and still remain whole. To quote our sage again, "Breath control
is the means for mind control."(2) Simple, isn't it?
5. Nurture yourself every way you can. Take time
for yourself. Make time for yourself. Even if it means doing just
some small thing, that little bit of kindness can go a long way in
easing whatever sense of pressure that might be trying to build up
on the inside.
6. Keep your heart light. Laugh every chance you
get. Smile, no matter what you're doing. Fill your heart and your
days with gratitude, and rest in the eternality of your spirit where
there is no time and where all things happen exactly as they should.
Of course, we do this best when we meditate, so by all means, be faithful
in your practice. If you can do that, come what may, eventually you'll
be able to see beyond any challenge to the growth - and the blessing
- that must always follow.
In Summary
Any time you start feeling overwhelmed, you can
be sure you're getting a signal that something needs to change. You
can't always change what's happening on the outside, but almost always
you can change what's happening on the inside, so start there. Ease
up mentally and physically wherever you can. Let it be your gift to
yourself. If you can find it within yourself to work out of that place
of inner peace, you'll be able to start each day feeling more rested,
refreshed, energized and ready to begin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) Kabat-Zinn, Jon: Wherever You Go, There You Are
(2) Maharshi, Sri Ramana: The Collected Works of
Sri Ramana Maharshi
(3) A quote from Venkatesh Aanandasayanam