As personal trainers, we tell our clients to give 100%. Even 110% if the occasion calls for it. But when it comes to not working. not working out. not appplying... how often do what we do one hundred percent?I am reading a beautiful book on meditation and compassionate living called Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron. Yesterday's chapter was overwhelmingly existential, but what caught my eye was this passage:
"Whatever we're doing, whether we're having tea or working, we could do that completely. We could be wherever we are completely, 100%"
I multitask pretty much all the time. Checking emails and blogs while I eat my breakfast, cleaning the kitchen while I talk to B, talking on the phone while I drive my car. I get a lot done that way. But it always seems that I miss something B said, or I didn't quite taste that smooshy egg center or I forget to send dad an address I promised over the phone.
So, lately, I have discovered a fondness for a simple breakfast of a softboiled egg in my childhood egg cup and a piece of fruit. Today I closed my computer, put away my pen and to-do list. And just ate breakfast. 100%. That smooshy egg center and crisp pear have never tasted so peaceful.
It's easy to give 100% when in meditation. Or even when working. Those things should demand all of our attention and presence. But in the rest of the space - in the "living" part of life. It's even more important. Because those are the moments that define our hearts and our paths. 100%.
Wow.. nicely put. We should give a little more attention to those things that are us living. Often, we do get caught up in running around doing a million different things at once. Totally guilty over here. But I do find that when I sit down and really DO what I am doing- pay attention to my cup of tea or food or whatever, I get a lot more satisfaction out of it. :)
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