Chances are you’ve probably heard of the notion of “beginners mind”, a Zen teaching of entering into every situation with no exceptions and open to possibilities. The last few weeks have had a heavy energy, for me, it has been a challenge to stay interested and motivated. While I do believe in these times, we should let ourselves fully experience the boredom (rather than avoid it, which I have a tendency to do), it is also the time when we can access teachings that have been designed for this purpose, to support us in the slower cycles.
Even the most mundane of tasks can be looked at from this perspective. Every morning you wake in the same bed, but it is not the same morning, you walk to the same train station, but it is not the same train. Even more liberating, you are not the same person. I have been breaking the boredom by not skimming over new information, on my way to work, is there a new tree I didn’t notice before, or a different bird sitting in it, or some bark that has dropped overnight. Or am I different? Do I have any new feelings about the morning, am I happier or sadder?
These small details, light up my moments and really set the tone of my day. I find doing this makes me more joyful in interactions that I usually find uninteresting. Knowing we are forever changing, as the world around us, frees us and sets nothing in stone.
With love,
Emily x