Let’s open minds to the power within. Our own mind can heal or hurt us, we are the ones who assign the meaning to life events and things that happen. The essential pathway to understanding how we might tap into our inner resources is awareness. Awareness helps us to be present without judging or criticizing oneself or others. Learning how to maintain a light-touch mentally rather than pushing away or grasping is a skill worth developing.
The most common reaction to the good things that happen in life is to try to hold on, hold on tighter, making every effort to have that good stay and wall out the bad stuff. Try as we may, we don’t want anything bad to happen to us.; whatever “bad” is! And- if that bad thing does happen, we’ll say:”This is a very bad, horrible, terrible thing!” Rather than, suspending judgement and saying to yourself: “This is interesting…could be bad, could be good.”
In the teaching tale, Zen Shorts: The Farmer’s Luck, the story reveals the assumptions of what the neighbors call “bad luck” or “good luck” turns out to be the opposite. Through various experiences, the farmer resists the temptation to agree with his neighbors’ opinions. For example, his son falls off a horse and breaks his leg, everyone says, that’s too bad, bad luck! But, in fact, a few days later when the soldiers come to their village to take able-bodied young men off to war, his son is passed over because he has a broken leg!
Can we be both present to the experiences of our lives while, at the same time, being non-judgmental, accepting and curious? Can we learn to see them, be with the experience without trying to push it away? Can we allow ourselves to feel a difficult feeling, rest in it and just be without judgement?
And if it’s a happy, welcomed event, can you learn that ”kissing joy” as she flies by is a wonderful way to play with your imagination, tapping your inner resources in order to be present, notice, enjoy but not become attached to it? Kiss it and let it go.
And then can we practice with this same awareness, when something seems awful? Watching our feelings of sadness without getting lost in them?
Imagine you are gathering all life experiences, noticing the contrast like the many shades of gold, yellow and brown of the autumn leaves.
Say to yourself: “As I use all my senses to take note and savor, I am present and open to all the feelings in my life.”
The practice of “kissing joy” is an opportunity to become aware of how you can direct your mind to focus without judging, without making an opinion; rather, just noticing and collecting.
Let’s make a collecting cone. Roll up a piece of colored construction paper and tape it so it holds its cone shape. This is a tangible way to practice “kissing joy.”
Throughout your day, you may want to place in your cone real objects like an acorn, red maple leaf, or finding a head-up coin or photograph.
Say to yourself, “Today, as I am filling my cone with the little things in life I am noticing and collecting with awareness, gentleness and gratitude.”
At the end of your day, the contents can be taken out and reflected upon as a form of awareness practice. Be gentle with yourself.
Then you can begin all over again the next day. Empty out the contents; let go of the previous day to make room for the new, the now, of today.
As in the ancient meditative tradition, keep your cone empty. When you do, it becomes a practice of taking in, breathing, watching, and recognizing the every day passing events–and ”kissing joy”. Enjoy!
