Our lives seem to consist of a string of moments. I get up in the morning, and the moments just tick off as I go through the day. And usually, we greet each moment, if we’re honest about it, with a little twist of a reaction in our mind. And that reaction is: “I like this, but I don’t like that.” Or, “I’m neutral about it.” It’s the same with the people who cross our path: “I like them,” or “I don’t like them,” or “I haven’t thought about it.” Particularly, this is how we respond to the tasks that confront us during the day: “I don’t want to do that; it doesn’t suit me.” Or, “It’s okay with me; I’m glad to do that.” We live as if we have a little judge that’s sitting inside of us, wagging a finger at everything. Now, we’re not really living our life; we’re just trying to get it all fixed so it suits the judge. We can’t enjoy our experience or other people because the judgment and the emotion, this concoction in our head, runs our life.
Our practice enables us to take the ordinary moments of our life—one after another—and experience them without judging, trying to fix, holding tightly, or running away. Suppose I’m a quiet person, and I meet somebody who is noisy and boisterous. My first thought may be, “I don’t like her.” The judgment has already pushed me into withdrawing. The only thing we know is the fact that we are reacting. Often, we don’t even notice we are reacting; we just react, react, react, and react. It probably occurs a thousand times a day—almost constantly.
– Charlotte Joko Beck, Ordinary Wonder: Zen Life and Practice
‘a string of moments,’ – exactly
Yes…
Maybe it’s the practice of meditation and clearing the mind…and looking out at nature first thing, but I’m grateful I don’t have that stop starting and can just be.
I’m grateful not to have her experience…maybe because I practice meditation and clearing my mind and first thing I do is look out at nature even when it’s dark outside.
I need to come within a few miles of where you exist on the mental plane. Inspiring Valerie.
Your deep appreciation and “being” in nature do some of that for you.
Your deep appreciation of and “being in nature” offer that to you!
Truth!
We ‘react, react, react’ – nodding with a ‘but’ – if one reacts all the time then their involvement with life and people is a purely reactive position. The environment and people are often reacting to us…just a thought..
Truth! So that’s my problem!!!!
😂
Our mammalian brain is wired to think of negativity first. Hence practice.
Hence I need to do exactly that!!!!!
“Ordinary Wonder” Love the companion words…my sweet husband calls me the “Wonder” Girl…I always say that “each breath is a gift” not matter the circumstance at the moment…I try to be accepting and usually am, though I will say that I deploy discernment , a little more lately…/// Charlotte Joko Beck, is honest, reflective and gains wisdom, in those moments…we are who we are and judgement can be a life saver…though at other times being brave and engaging can be a Real Enriching Wonder to a person’s day… I often say, “We must reach in to Reach Out”/// the sweet husband is sleeping on the couch and the dear daughter is buried under her covers, sleeping heavily…they walked along the creek and then up in elevation, into the wood for over an hour…the ground is wet so they were slipping, we’ve had over 3″ of rain since Friday night, with an expected 3 to 4” more by Saturday…thankfully it is not freezing anymore like early last week (24)/// on another note in your side bar: Mom and Wally comment, they are content and I love Mom’s hair color and thickness 🙂
Oh thanks Christie. Wait till Mom hears about your compliment about her hair, she will swoon!
Oh yes, how beautifully explained… That’s my problem too… There are questions now in my mind, I wanted to know more, how and what and why… etc. Thank you dear David, Love, nia
Thank you Nia.
“Now, we’re not really living our life; we’re just trying to get it all fixed so it suits the judge.” That’s the punchline for me.
Mine too Laila!
I am a bit pained by this. Many years ago, I started conscientiously being less judgemental (is that even a word?), less quick with thinking that person is ‘so and so’ and I’m hoping to be on the right path. Life has become far easier since because of my listening more, letting things ‘sink in’ before opening my quick mouth. Being more understanding, kinder, less fixed in my ways, more generous…. so I’m not totally on the same page as her. And I’m definitely not Zen!
So good for you. It is a word btw with no first e.