The wonders of life
‘The wonders of life are always available to us. The question is: Are we available to the wonders of life?’
Appreciative moments
Gratefulness has three steps: not missing the opportunity, appreciating the opportunity, and using or enjoying the opportunity.
Just for now
It’s such a liberating phrase – ‘just for now’. We don’t say to ourselves often enough – ‘just for now, this is what I’m doing. Just for now, it is enough.’
Mindfulness anchor points
We’re probably all familiar with this scenario – we tell ourselves ‘from now on, I will be more mindful’/’eat more mindfully’/’do the dishes with mindfulness’/’take time to smell the roses’. And then, before we know it, we’re caught up in the flow of a busy day, forgetting all about our intention to be mindful!
A source of joy
‘Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.’ Thich Nhat Hanh
On fertile ground
Just like gardening, meditation is usually not very glamorous, but over time, our lives can become ‘fertile ground’ for growing the seeds of what we value.
Doing mode, Being mode
‘We have a tendency to think in terms of doing and not in terms of being. We think that when we’re not doing anything, we’re wasting our time. But that’s not true.’
A tribute to Thich Nhat Hanh
‘People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.’
A mindful festive season
I can really relate to this Zen saying – usually those times when we most need the practices which ground us are exactly the periods when we abandon them.
Everyday special moments
One of my favourite times, when I am away at a residential retreat, is the early morning meditation.