Content with Changing
We can choose to we meet ourselves with greater ease, moving with change allows for greater possibilities.
The pieces of life begin to support each other.
While remembering, it can all fall apart and we must be willing to rebuild again and again and not always in the same way as we did before.
It's all a matter of understanding.
Understanding, we are Not Our Thoughts!
"I think, therefore I am." This statement misses the whole meaning of being.
"I am," is just that, 'I am.' Nothing more, nothing less, 'I am.'
I am who I am in every moment.
Yesterday's green eggs and ham were revolting, and today, 'Oh, I love green eggs and ham.".
We change. We grow. We move on.
Do you have the same thoughts you did as a child?
Do you think the same thoughts you did about certain people, places or things 10 years ago? 5 years ago, 1 year ago? Last week? Yesterday?
We have to remain open to every possibility. We must refuse to be defined, to be labeled, to be judged or allow certain beliefs, cultural values or norms to ever hold us back.
Yes, even open to thinking a fur hat, dark sunglasses and a Saturday Night Fever pose makes you look cool. Because thankfully, thoughts do change.
Scientists said no human would ever be able to run a sub-four-minute mile, it was physically impossible. In 1954, Roger Bannister proved this to be untrue. At the Olympic games, new records are made, keeping science on its toes about the human potential to exceed expectations.
How many things have we said we could never do?
Or change?
Or just accepted as our truth without ever really challenging?
Everything we do to better ourselves, is a process. We may start and stop a thousand times. We may give up, only to begin again, another day.
The process could be any number of things:
exercising
eating better
meditating
journaling
writing
creating
trying to break a habit we know is not in our best interests.
For some, it's just trying to be positive and happy on a daily basis.
Old patterns of thinking, habits and/or trauma are holding you hostage in time.
Change is hard.
It takes patience and kindness towards self.
It can be painful, messy and down right uncomfortable.
Here's a few tips on maintaining a practice of awareness and action I have learned over the years.
Start small.
Increase what you do slowly.
Be patient with yourself.
Take breaks and know there will come a day that it won't seem hard at all. It will just be a part of your life.
Meditating takes practice.
I started incrementally at 5 minutes, then 10, then 20, and now up to an hour or more (most days).
All you need to do to meditate is : Focus on the inhales and exhales, watch your thoughts without getting involved in their story line and come back to breath awareness . That's it.
If you find yourself caught up in a story or analyzing a thought, that is the moment you become aware of the practice and begin practicing again.
This is not doing nothing.
We strive to be fit in our bodies, so too, we must work to make our minds strong.
On days where sitting just doesn't work for me.
I mindfully walk, build rock towers (stupas or cairns is the actual name), color mandalas, journal, do yoga or make art.
Jounaling can simply begin with what you are grateful for in the morning and/or in the evening before bed. You may find you eventually have more to say or to let go of on paper.
My students have remarked how much their days change when they start with a gratitude journal entry (it is part of the syllabus, so they are required to do it). I still receive updates after they graduate, and this is still a part of their daily life.
What do you already do that gives you space and time?
Let go of needing to "do it right."
Example: I had a student turn in a paper on his meditative practice and at first I questioned it, due mostly to the fact I am not keen on hunting and thought he was trying to get out of actually practicing. Yet, the more I read, the more I understood how his method of hunting was indeed a meditative place. It was less about the hunt and more about being one with nature in stillness. I thanked him for enlightening me.
Eat better
The trick is to keep trying.
Inform yourself on the benefits of healthy living and what actually feeds your body. A little sugar isn't bad, in moderation. It's the absolute denial of something that leads to binges.
Meditating helps when we have an emotionally hard day and need some comfort, instead of filling the pain with food.
Something that helps me is knowing for every extra pound I gain, it's 10 lbs extra downward pressure on my knees. Ouch!
Keep a food diary, you'll be amazed at how much you put in your mouth when you're not aware.
Try 2 out of 5 eating. Pick 2 days a week and limit your calorie intake to 500. The other 5 days eat normally. This has helped me maintain an optimal weight. Tuesdays and Thursdays work best for me.
Create a healthy food club with friends.
It's the small steps we take, that make the difference.
Big leaps seldom create lasting change.
On being happier, notice how much you smile during the day. It's funny how much a smile can change your demeanor or affect those around you.
