Bridget McNulty

Serendipitous inspiration…

// November 12th, 2008 // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it), Philosophy, Writing

So I was looking through an old notebook the other day, when this photocopied page fell out. No title, no author, no page number, even, just a page of writing that happens to be deeply inspiring… It’s pretty long, so make yourself a cup of tea and settle in for a read. And let me know if you have any idea who the author is (please)!

“… We shun and reject anything unpleasant. But in fleeing from these experiences, instead of accepting them as a part of our life, we have unconsciously rejected life. We bleed and suffer needlessly over the most inconsequential details. We fail to realise, as a friend of mine likes to say, that ‘Life is a package deal.’ You don’t get to pick and choose. You don’t get to say I like this but I don’t like that. It’s a package. Take it or leave it. Even failure, sickness and misfortune play their part in the grand scheme of a life unfolding.

Accepting life in its entirety and taking time to appreciate the diversity and richness of it opens our eyes to many things we’ve taken for granted. The present moment, for example, is always alive and filled with infinite treasures. It contains far more than we are capable of receiving. See the clouds, the trees, the birds, children playing, the colours all around. The flower blooms, the insect hums, the ant crawls, night follows day – see the moon and stars. There is more beauty and joy in each day than we can ever fully appreciate.

Yet we continue to live our lives focused on future destinations – when the mortgage is paid; when my obligations are fulfilled; when I’m rich; when I meet that special someone; when things are different. Yes, all that will be fine, but what about today? What about this very moment?

There is a Zen practice called ‘drinking deeply’ that involves breaking through the restrictions of a busy mind to fully appreciate everything for what it is. When you’re eating, you experience eating fully – the taste, the colour, the texture of the food. When you’re in the garden, everything becomes special: the flowers, the sky, the air, the hum of the insects, the feel of the earth below your feet. Nothing else is needed. Everything just is. And you are there, noticing and appreciating. It takes practice, but we too can learn to do this in our own way, with our families, at our job, in our busy life. We can take the time to do it.”

Isn’t that just lovely? And there’s more! To be continued… tomorrow.