“Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.” –Satchel Paige
Observing in the moment. Not allowing emotion to overwhelm. It takes practice. Practice as a verb is the action to perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency.1 Action. Not rhetoric, not theory.
I practice by sitting still and gazing at a spot on the wall above the floor molding. As I sit in position thoughts come and go. I welcome the thought and then just as quickly I say goodbye to it. In the beginning my thoughts are about everyday stuff. “When do I need to pick up the dry cleaning?” “Did I add hot sauce to the shopping list?” “Gotta water the plants.”
However the longer I sit, the emotionally charged stuff begins to bubble up. “When did I ever use the word ‘stalker’ And why broadcast my personal information to everyone? Was her intent to embarras me or is she really that oblivious?” “Fuck office politics. Piss on them!” “Vegas and New Orleans were fun. But I shoulda, coulda bought the bike instead.” This is when it becomes the real practice. Instead of dealing with idle thoughts, I deal with the heavy emotional feelings. “I recognize you. Thank you for visiting. Bye bye.”
This applies the same with positive emotions. Difference is I allow the emotion to hang around a bit longer. People think meditation is done so you can live in a constant state of bliss. Not true. Living in a state of up-on-high is just as dysfunctional as living in a state of down-on-low. A common phrase I hear is “The Middle Path”. I translate the concept in my mind to “A Tempered Life”. Right or wrong, it works for me.
1 Thanks Google!
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