When I learned to juggle I found it difficult to learn how to get the third ball in the rotation. It required concentration and rhythm. I remember bouncing at the knees and rocking my arms up and down as I struggled to keep all the balls in the air. My friend, a Franciscan priest, taught me in a effort to help me learn how to meditate. This type of active concentration makes passive meditation simpler.
I am no juggling master - heck, I still struggle to get it right - but I am grateful I learned the skill because sometimes life is a juggling act! Today was one of those days. In order to do something differently... today I exhaled (often). I find that when things cluster together when they go wrong it is best to - exhale.
When I stopped to discuss problems with a colleague... we ended up swapping stories about our European vacations (well, her vacation my vague memories of an all too brief trip to Italy). Exhale.
When all sorts of issues started rearing their heads on our network - I thought I would scream and my daughter called to tell me she had a dream that she wanted to share with me... Exhale.
I went to my Pilates class tonight and I was struggling to hold the pose. At the most difficult moment the instructor came and supported me... Exhale.
After working late I couldn't wait to get home and make dinner - there were so many dishes in the sink from so many teenagers with such busy schedules. I decided to skip the big dinner and have something simple and light (no cooking required)... Exhale.
Reflection, meditation, mindfulness all call us to concentrate and become aware of our breathing, first. Living mindfully doesn't mean that we try to live every moment to the fullest, in fact that is too chaotic to be mindful. If you insist on being mindful and living each moment fully you will eliminate any confusion or chaos. When I focus on the bits that make up my life I am not overwhelmed by the whole and I am in awe of how marvelously all the pieces come together.
Have you ever had the experience of reflecting on a series of events when you find yourself saying, "that's why that happened, or, I get it that had to happen so this would happen..." That manifestation of events is your witness that the universe tends to unfold as it should.
So when doing something differently, I tried exhaling and reminding myself that the universe can take care of itself.
I am sure you are saying - so what is the something new? My new was this swapping stories about Italy with my new friend, listening to my daughter tell me the details of her strange dream, and holding the pose longer than before in Pilates without giving up. Exhale.
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