Diane Dreher

 We can learn vital lessons from the ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching.

 

The Tao says:

Why do many people rush about

Reactively losing their balance?

They give way to emotion,

Impatience, and haste,

Thereby losing their center.

                                      (Tao chapter 26)

 

The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao-Tzu over 25 centuries ago in ancient China. Yet he knew, even then, how rushing can make us lose our emotional balance.

 

We now know that rushing and impatience put us into a stress state, which narrows our focus, makes us anxious, and shuts down our higher brain centers, making us less effective in whatever we do.

 

Our busy contemporary culture constantly assaults us with demands and interruptions, urging us to multitask, to cram more activities into our days. But frantically rushing from one thing to the next exhausts us, drains our energy, puts us into chronic stress which is unhealthy for our minds, our bodies, and our personal and collective health.

 

We can break this unhealthy habit of rushing by adding mindful pauses to our days—to return to the present moment, to regain our peace of mind by connecting with our inner wisdom.

 

Please join me now for a mindful pause, a brief moment of presence and meditation.

 

• First close your eyes or shift them into a gentle downward gaze.
• Then breathe in, focusing on your heart and slowly breathe out. You can put your hand on your heart if you wish.
• Again, slowly breathe in and breathe out.
• Breathing in, breathing out, feeling your shoulders relax, your mind become more peaceful.
• As you continue this slow heart-focused breathing, ask yourself these questions

               "How do I feel?"  Notice your feelings.

               "What do I need?" Listen to your heart.

               "What can I do about it now?" Listen for one small thing you can do now.

 

• And finally ask yourself, "What do I need to release?" Listen for the answer to simplify and center your life.
• When you're ready, gently open your eyes and return to the present moment, ready to take the next step.

 

Now whenever you find yourself rushing, you can take a mindful pause to listen to your heart, and return to center to live in greater harmony.

 

I wish you joy and peace on the path.

 

 

Our culture can limit us in insidious ways. Years ago, I read literary critic Jill Ker Conway's When Memory Speaks: Reflections on Autobiography.  She argues that there are two distinct models for our lives. Men's autobiographies follow the hero's journey, a pattern of action and adventure, while women's autobiographies follow the saint's life, in which, as the saint seeks union with God, women seek union with a romantic partner.  

 

In profound disagreement with her reductive vision, I created a senior seminar on autobiography for my college students, asking them to read Conway, and then Walden by Henry David Thoreau, which described his spiritual journey at Walden Pond, and Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth in which she defied sexist stereotypes to go to college and treated wounded soldiers on European battlefields as a volunteer nurse during World War I. Students would then select and report on an autobiography from a list that included the lives of Margaret Mead, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, and Jane Goodall, drawing their own conclusions about the possible shapes of our lives.

 

I wanted them to realize that we can live creatively, following our hearts rather than accepting the confining dictates of our culture.

 

Has anyone ever told you what you should be because of your gender, ethnicity, cultural background, age, or other factor? These limiting messages can come from family, friends, institutions, or advertising. Going deeper, when you listen to your heart, what is it telling you about your own life's journey? For we are all unique, each with our own special part in the beautiful tapestry of life.

 

Remember to listen to your heart as you contemplate your next step in your life's journey.

 

If you have a few moments now, I invite you to join me in this brief meditation.

 

• Close your eyes or shift them into a gentle downward gaze.
• Then breathe in, focusing on your heart and slowly breathe out. You can put your hand on your heart if you wish.
• Again, slowly breathe in and breathe out.
• Breathing in, breathing out, feeling your shoulders relax, your mind become more peaceful.
• As you continue this slow heart-focused breathing, ask yourself, "Where am I being called to live now? What is my next step?"
• Take your time to listen, breathing into your heart, feeling your connection to the greater oneness of life.
• The answer will come, now or later as a gentle message from your heart.

 When you're ready, gently open your eyes and return to the present moment, relaxed and renewed.

 

I wish you joy on your ongoing journey of discovery.

 

______________________

References

Brittain, Vera. (1933/1994)Testament of Youth. New York, NY: Penguin.

Conway, Jill Ker. (1999). When Memory Speaks: Reflections on Autobiography. New York, NY: Knopf.

Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. (1854/2004). New York, NY : Signet.