While Bhante's talk focused on the stress of the holidays, he naturally weaved in mindfulness and appreciation.
Last night, instead of dreaming blissful dreams, my mind sorted through the stress of my day job. In the dream I was not at my day job, but at my yoga studio. I had gotten in early before my class and was enjoying a hot beverage on our balcony. Everything was peaceful. Bundled up in a coat, hat and gloves , I savored the moment. But, only for a moment.
Soon, I was interrupted. This continued as I went from one person or problem to the next. I counted down the minutes left to make it to my class. Each step towards the classroom was another distraction from my purpose for being there. My mind was solely focused on how I would be late for my destination.
Today, as I reflected on my dream, after another busy day at work, I realized something. We are all trying to get from point A to point B. Life always seems to get in the way though. Whether it is a goal or literally moving from one place or project to another, our daily to-do list is slowly replaced by other things. This leads to frustration and anxiety. So what if we look at things differently?
What if instead of viewing each of those interuptions as distractions from where we needed to get to, we instead think of them as little blessings? Each moment has it's purpose. Perhaps we are receiving a gift. Perhaps we are learning something we need to know along our journey. Maybe the person in our "way" really needs to be around our energy and we need to make time to appreciate, validate or give of ourselves.
Bhante Sujatha spoke of how no matter what we have in life, we are always disappointed because of expectations. If we are able to let go of our expectations of how our life, goals, and daily schedule should look, we might just be able to appreciate what is coming into our lives at that very moment. It takes a little mindfulness and a lot of patience. But its like everything in life, like learning to ride a bicycle.
We may fall. We may have to try multiple times before we are able to navigate on two wheels. However, one day, after many days of practice, it happens. We know how to ride that bike. We know how to appreciate each moment as a blessing enhancing our journey.
