Finding Clarity and Calm

Have you ever had the experience of what you most need suddenly appearing out of the blue? Like the clarity and focus of your need brought you a solution, and you made the choice to act on it.

I experienced such a moment this past week.

It was a normal busy Monday morning, rushing through the build up of work emails and planning for meetings ahead that day. A reminder popped up that I had a webinar at noon. My first inclination was to power through work and catch the webinar on recorded replay.

Then I paused. I noticed the buzzing of my thoughts, the places where tension was creating sensations in my body, where my emotions were unsettled by the events of the preceding weekend.

I knew I needed the nourishment of this special webinar live.

Brown University was hosting Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness pioneer and creator of the MBSR program, for its community of teachers.

I made the choice to take that pause in my day to listen to Jon live. And it shifted my perspective and brought me back to center.

Jon reminded me that yes, the world right now may feel dark, with chaos and fear spiraling outward. But it is an individual choice whether to get caught up in it. There are skillful ways to respond powerfully.

Here are five pearls of wisdom that I was left with, which helped to shift my perception:

🍃 Periods of chaos and darkness in the world are cyclical, and we will move beyond them. Make the conscious choice to stay grounded in the present moment, which is the only moment we are actually living. Everything else is a memory or a projection.

🍃 We are all connected. Everything that happens to any part of our ecosystem has an impact on us all. Choose to be grounded in loving connection, so that your impact is a positive one. “Othering” only leads to more darkness and chaos.

🍃 Keep cultivating your access to the loving awareness that is the essence of who we all are. Bring awareness to the moments in your day that do so – a quiet walk in a nature, playing with a pet, being of service to someone in need, a meditative practice, etc.

🍃 Study the ethics and embody the grounding principles of your spiritual practice, whether it be the Dharma or the loving tenants of your own faith. These offer guidance that clears away the fearful spin of media messaging.

🍃 Don’t take personally the things that are not personal. Though many things feel very personal, in reality, very little actually is. Anything that spins you into a cycle of fear and anger can disconnect you from wise choices and powerful action.

Jon’s words of wisdom reminded me that our perception and our choices create our experience. When a fear-based reaction arises for me, I pause, connect to my heart and choose my response from that wiser place. Again and again.

Wishing you a week grounded in your own loving heart.

Let your wisdom lead,

Robin