Some people come to learn meditation because they are keen to be their best selves, they feel unreal and want to amplify it. They are the minority. Most people come to learn meditation because shit hit the fan. A diagnosis, a divorce, someone they loved passed on, bankruptcy, chronic illness. And then they get really serious about what counts. I ask a lot of questions in this moment. And the answers are always aligned with the following…
“I got serious about what counts in my life – my family, the people I love, being positive, making conscious decisions about my mental and physical wellness and having time. The one thing I can’t make more of, time, I want to be empowered to know what I am doing with it”.
It’s been a gift for me as a teacher, as I constantly stay aligned with these things, and if I have a moment of amnesia, someone comes right along to remind me with their story and experience. And the questions it raises, about why if everyone ends up in the same place – don’t we take all of these things more seriously in the present moment, come in tidal waves. No one says, damn I am so glad I worked all that over time, or whined about the overtime, or had 16 different bank accounts accruing interest, or had an empty inbox and on and on. When it all boils down to it, we know what counts and what doesn’t.
We rarely know when we are going to die. Even then it’s a ballpark estimate by medical professionals that rarely seems to be on point. So the thing I keep asking myself is, if I have no clue as to when this gift of life is ending, am I living in a way that reflects that?
It helps keep arguments at bay, pettiness in a box, and grudges and the million shards of BS can flow on more easily. It helps with prioritising that which counts.
This then creates space for bigger, higher grade decisions.
So today, let’s get serious about what matters.
Sent with love,
Jac x