Man, I have been in opposition to writing this blog lately.
I have been in opposition to a lot of things lately, which is a silly way to be.
One of the biggest misconceptions about a mindful lifestyle is the idea that it is a cure for everything, and nothing bothers you.
I wouldn’t encourage anyone to try to get to a place where they are not bothered.
You want to be human, you want the full experience. Happiness, sadness, anger, despair, frustration.
These are all necessary components of life.
It’s not that you want to get away from these things, you want to be the same person in the midst of them.
Not to be buffeted around by the winds of emotion and change, but not to lock yourself in a cave and escape them either.
Sit in the middle of them. Experience them. But understand that they are not an excuse to shirk your duties or treat other people poorly. They are not a license to disregard yourself or other people, and they do not entitle us to unhealthy decisions.
All the things that are unskillful when we are feeling good are equally (if not more) unskillful when we are burned out and ragged.
Nothing has changed.
Get up, take a shower, go to work, go to school. Do good things, treat others well, be thankful for your life. The weather may be bad, but it changes.
So yes, I experience sadness and frustration and despair and exhaustion, I am just aware that I am experiencing them.
I try to take healthy steps to deal with them, like leaving for the mountains on Wednesday. Like spending time in silence and being honest with myself about what needs to change and what needs to improve.
We’re human. Let’s be human.
In every way.
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