Reengineeing Our Patterns
How do you relate to the author's observation of how being selective helped him grow on the spiritual path? Can you share a personal story where you experienced a re-engineering of your own patterns? What helps you let go of the unnecessary and focus on the essential?
It is almost 5 years, I have been trying to let go of my tight schedules. People have started questioning whether things are ok with me and I wonder whats wrong with me. It is my understanding that people can't believe that by going slow mean taking time to accomplish more things in a peaceful manner and that adds to one's personal peace, which eventually contributes to the Peace around you. I too have started discarding unnecessary friend circles, functions that disturb my food habits and time for the peace meditation. Also I am fully content with what I am and what am i here for: Love and more love that never says enough!
I also have begun cutting on unnecessary phone calls and WhatsApp and emails, which is time consuming and superficial, instead I have begun visiting needy people and if need be I accompany people to the doctor and hospital etc.
My relatives are coming to visit us and we will always welcome them with open mind and heart, yet the willingness to accept that I hold an absolute duty to be of service to their needs continuously escapes my hands like water in open palms. The patterns that are actively reengineering in my view are crafting a willingness to transform my open palms to cupped hands of a recipients devoted service to the love she deserves 🤗, then loving in return...those who can be possible recipients of my empathy ðŸ˜.
For me, a spiritual path entails remaining aware that all is one and sacred and my activities are part of that big picture. I can get so busy and stressed that I forget that. Being selective and prioritizing regarding activities reduces the number of activities and allows me to slow me down, be in the present, and maintain awareness of the big picture. That sounds good -- I ought to do it more often. Taking time most every morning to physically stretch and exercise and to meditate, even when I have many activities to do and many things on my mind, is my reengineering my pattern to take time for me physically and spiritually and start the day with awareness of the big spiritual picture. The unnecessary is always intruding, and being in the present including meditation helps me to let go of the unnecessary and focus on the essential.
Being in presence (and in present) is a requirement for being able to sharply distinguish the baggage activities (tasks we may be robotically continuing, needless and indulgent activities) vs the essential.....I see it as a practice, the indication of it working is that what I do starts becoming more 'concentrated' i.e. more intentional, more leveraged and more impactful.
One of the things that works though is not a very mindful cutting out but moving in a flow, where what is important playfully emerges based on where the awareness flows....this is a curiously different way of moving to the essential, where it is what the moment presents (which for me in the moment is this passage!)
Is it essential to reflect and share - maybe not. But then as it pops up in the flow, I trust the Universe to organize it for me!
Dropping what feels unnecessary has been very liberating for me. Over the years, it has felt like more and more time has opened up to just stay with what feels meaningful. There is a sense of leisure in the rhythm of the day, at least some of the time. I also notice that everyday I am being asked to choose: there are many urgent and/or Important tasks that need to get done. I am choosing to go with those that feel the most nourishing for ones inner development.
Easwaran's reminder is a good gift for starting my day. My life began changing when I began to incorporate "First things first" in my life. As often as I can, I ask myself what is the priortiy action NOW. When I focus on the next priority action, I don't waste time analyzing and thinking, much of which wastes time and energy. Slowing down and aiming my thoughts and energy at what is truly important has changed me and my life. The ego, feeding off of drama and fear, thinks so much is important that is not. Recognizing what comes from my ego versus what is necessary for life is easier when I concentrate on slowing down.
Enjoy this day, slowly.
