It's so easy to get caught up in the personal momentary experience. We are the central protagonists of our own lives, after all. It's important to be engaged in our own lives and to delve into the depths of the minutial of our personal experiences. It's beneficial to be asking ourselves questions like:
It is equally important to take a few giant steps back to remind ourselves to lighten up. I have been working on ways to detach and find a larger perspective, since I've started a new job and I've found myself getting caught up in the minutia, while losing sight of the big picture. I am finding a sense of perspective in the natural world, a sense of time, and the vastness of the universe. One of the most effective strategies I've used so far is to literally step out of the building where I work at lunch time. This allows me to have that oh-so-precious moment of, "Oh yeah! There's a world beyond the tasks I'm focused on!" I spend 15 minutes visiting some trees, feeling the sunshine or rain, watching a robin take a bath in a puddle or a dog run around. Through this process, I am reminded that I have a life beyond the work day. I also imagine a bird or a squirrel watching the mayhem that our species creates and laughing at our harried ways. When I go back into my work building, I feel refreshed as I bring a little bit of the outside world and the lessons it holds within me. Especially apparent in the spring, are the growth cycles of the natural world. I find it useful to think about the perspective that can be brought about through time. In a day from a now, a week, a year, or ten years from now, I'll have the distance to look back on these moments and laugh at the humor of being so wrapped up in things that have obviously resolved themselves by then. While a toddler struggles to make it up some giant stairs, the 10 year old doesn't think twice about running up the stairs skipping three at a time. Similarly, we grow and overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenges that face us in the present moment. Lastly, I look to the vastness of the cosmos. I don't know much about astronomy or astrophysics. I know that it's very big, on a scale that I can't really wrap my head around. I know that it's very beautiful, with some gorgeous patterns and structures. And, I know that it is full of mystery. For instance, about 68% of the universe is made up of dark matter, something that scientists don't really know much about. This helps me to feel as though I am a very tiny piece of a massive, swirling mass of mysteriousness. While I have moments of understanding what lessons I'm meant to be learning or what my next step is, there are so many moments and questions that I may never have the answers to. But, just as each of the estimated one billion trillion stars in the universe, I have my own place and light to shine. Until I get more answers, I'll try not to sweat the small stuff because in the cosmic scheme of things, it's all very, very small. Literally connecting with nature, thinking about a larger sense of time, and reflecting on my tininess in this vast universe are some of the ways I've been gaining perspective and detaching from the day-to-day challenges of a new job. What are some strategies that work for you?
0 Comments
Ever have those days when disaster seems to follow you everywhere? Spilled coffee, malfunctioning computer, missed bus, miscommunications with friends and colleagues. And have you noticed that your head seems to be in a confused and messy state on these days? And then what about those magical days? When everything seems to just go well. When the mind feels at peace, and the world as you experience it seems to reflect that back to you. Meditation is an incredibly helpful tool to engender a shift in a more positive direction when it comes to the mind. However, today I’m going to focus on a different strategy, but one that is still grounded in mindfulness: thought experiments. There’s a lot of research being done on neuroplasticity: the idea that the brain can change itself. This connects with thousands of years of Buddhist thought that states that though we have little control over external circumstances, we do have a tremendous amount of power over our thoughts, given some practice. The thing that’s becoming more and more apparent to me is that direct experience is the best way to learn. It’s great to study, research, discuss, but we need to try things out ourselves! What I mean is, rather than taking my word for it, try it for yourself. So I’m proposing experimenting with some different ways of thinking. Yeah, just experimenting! Approaching with an open and CURIOUS mind is important. It’s something I’ve started doing pretty recently. I’m calling these exercises thought experiments. I realize that thought experiment sounds, perhaps, vaguely menacing. Also, it’s the term to describe what philosophers and psychologists have been doing for centuries to test out theories. No matter. Think of ‘thought experiment’ as something you do to test out the power of thought, that’s all. You could spend a couple hours on each thought experiment, or perhaps a whole day. Thought experiment number 1: throughout your day, treat each experience you have and each person you encounter as learning opportunities. Whether they be pleasurable, neutral, or challenging, what can you learn from these situations? Thought experiment number 2: take a leisurely walk through your neighbourhood and try to experience each building, signpost, garden and so on as new. Imagine this is the first time you’ve ever been there, seen these things. What do you notice about them? What feelings arise? Afterwards: do you notice a shift in the way you feel, however small? Thought experiment number 3: notice your judgements. That’s it. Notice the positive and negative attributes to ascribe to people, experiences, and objects. Try not to judge yourself for those judgements. Just...notice. Thought experiment number 4: imagine that everything and everyone that you meet in a day is conspiring to bring you joy and love (this has even got a name: ‘pronoia’). With all of these exercises, I would suggest that at the end of the day, reflect upon what you noticed. Try journaling about it. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen…? Shaina Lehan |
BlogWe features books and other resources that we've found useful, we share personal experiences or strategies, and comment on research or spiritual teachings related to concepts of happiness, sustainability, or the arts. Archives
February 2019
Categories |