Daily Reminders of Life Teachings

 I have this note up on my fridge of things to remember that I have learned. I wanted to share with you what they mean -- so I made this video. I hope it is helpful in some way.

Inexplicable Bliss

 I'm not sure how to explain this but I can tell you how I got here, at least. 

This is the menu board at White Duck Taco, which I usually visit at least once a week. It may look like something commonplace, or at least you might appreciate the art in the fonts.

But for me, today, it because a rapturous work of art.

The colors popped out from their flat surface, floating in their brilliance. I took a deep breath and felt such bliss and happiness at the beauty of these colors. It was all I needed in that moment -- my tacos were forgotten. 

I don't know how this happens. It has been happening since I started my contemplative practices, and more and more often as I continue. I'm not sure which thing I'm doing that makes this a part of my life but I can tell you it is very satisfying and worth it. There is so much potential in anything to suddenly burst forth as a work of art. A plate, curtains, the pattern on a carpet -- these all have exploded into brilliant life and hue. 

I've been doing breathing focus meditation for over a decade, and it never led to this. What I do now... well I do many things, but here are a few I suspect may be making changes in my spirit/soul/brain. 

I practice acceptance of the moment. Whether it's good or bad -- in fact, I practice not judging it as good or bad. It is just a moment, and I embrace it. 

I practice acceptance of emotions. When sadness or fear or anger comes, there is an initial resistance. When we resist how we feel, it can become stuck. Instead, I dive into the emotion and try to experience it fully. "Hello anxiety, let me feel you completely!" 

It's interesting that often when I mention my practices to people they tend to have a strong reaction to the "being" and "acceptance" part. For instance, "How can you embrace your anger? Won't you go out of control? Won't you do something you regret?" 

Try it. You won't. You'll feel it rise and flow and then pass through you and away. 

"How can you just accept bad things and not do anything about them?"

Our culture's reaction to "bad" things is always to try to resolve them, to "attack the problem" and to try to make things "better." Often, the best solution is to do nothing. And if you do nothing, and it doesn't change things, then you can do something, but let me ask, have you tried doing nothing first? How many times have you reacted to an emotion with an action that actually made things worse? 

This is one of the teachings of the Dao. Flow with what happens -- many problems resolve themselves if you let them. So many times we try to swim against the current when the current is actually going to bring us where we should be and where we want to be. Personally I equate the Dao with God -- the force that flows through everything and connects all things together. The only difference I think is that Daoists see the Dao as a more impersonal force pervading the universe, where I see the Source as having that aspect, but also one of intelligence and planning. But to realize that everything happening is part of the plan because it must be because of the pervasive Spirit of God in everything and everyone. 

So, this brings us back to acceptance. What is, is what should be. We don't have to understand it. 

I also practice being present in the moment. All of the sights and sounds around me. What are my senses telling me? What do I feel in my hands? My feet? My whole body? What colors do I see? What shapes? What sounds do I hear? 

I don't know which method brings me to these beautiful states -- but when I have them I long to share them with someone else. I want my friends and others to also feel this. I can't tell you directly how to get there, but maybe it's from practicing acceptance and awareness. Maybe.