Falling Into the Same Pitfalls

"A fresh attitude starts to happen when we look to see that yesterday 

was yesterday, and now it is gone; today is today and now it is new.  It is like that ... 

every hour, every minute is changing.  If we stop observing change, 

then we stop seeing everything as new."

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

If we were to sit upon our shoulder and observe our actions for one day, we would find ourselves very surprised at how we invest our time, emotions, and physical energy.  We would notice how often we override intuition and then be surprised when we hit a dead end.  Our rigidity would become apparent when we travel in deep grooves of habit, rather than spontaneously taking a different turn to discover something new.   We would quickly become numb from the constant criticism droning on in our heads.  It would make us speculate how more relaxed our bodies might be if the volume would be turned down on that harsh voice in our head.

When we pay attention to our lovely selves moment by moment, we avoid falling into the same pitfalls.  Instead of discovering a pounding migraine at the end of the day, we may notice by mid-morning our bellies are empty in need of some fruit.  We go to lunch like a gaggle of geese, not wanting to offend someone else by straying off.  On some level we do know that a slice of alone time can relax our shoulders, clear our head, and let the sun on our faces brighten our spirits.

As the afternoon drags on, we observe our shoulders getting tighter and tension lifting them up to our ears.  We watch ourselves deny a break as the need to get our job done is paramount, ignoring the fact that a break would help us regroup with a fresh awareness.  We watch our energy levels speed from high gear into an adrenalin rush, leaving our bodies exhausted.

When we are overly tired, nothing seems hopeful.  Instead of creating dreams for a new tomorrow, we crash with the weight of all those not-so-good yesterdays.  We watch ourselves drag our bodies to bed, only to twist and turn unable to fall asleep.

As the observer, we are glad for the day to end.  We feel sadness in reference to how we waste our lives, when other options truly are available.  An eagerness returns to us with anticipation for a new day, knowing for sure, every moment is an opportunity for change!