Stop. Think about someone who took a chance on you and believed in you despite the odds. Send them a message and thank them.
Village
None of us get out of here alive…
Acceptance of our mortality sharpens our focus on being present and enjoying every day. We secretly think we will live forever and bow out when it suits us. That’s the ego telling us we are in control.
We have a limited time in our body. We are all going die. Let that sink in.
Taste the coffee, smell the air, breath deeply and savor every day as it were your last. The acceptance of death increases our day to day joy. What a paradox!
Bow
San Francisco beauty in unexpected places. The things we see when we are looking down, and not on our phones.
What can I offer?
Change the question from ‘what can I get?’ to ‘what can I offer?’ Do it every morning you wake up and try to start every interaction in this frame of mind.
Small things in a great way
Want to be an agent of change? Frustrated about what you can do to help?
Get proximate, go deep and start small. Stop trying solve problems from a distance. Work through the details. The devil is in the detail. The more you understand, the more compassion you will have.
By getting proximate I mean start with your own community, friends and family. Tweeting and posting to social media creates an illusion of action. Being physically proximate is greater than being digitally proximate. Being proximate fuels compassion.
When making any decision start with compassion and love. When carrying out the decision, do it with compassion and love.
Small changes and small interactions add up over time.
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”
Martin Luther King
Shibui
Shibui is a Japanese word that refers to a style that is simple, elegant, subtle, and unobtrusively beautiful.
I think that western culture is starting to appreciate the practice of shibui. In the way we live, in the things we buy, and how we spend our time. Just look at the elegant hardware coming out of Tesla and Apple, or Eichler designed homes in California with simple lines and natural light.
I love this trend.
Clean out the Canister
After a stretching session remember to drink a glass of water. Avoid the temptation of drinking while stretching, but stay hydrated before and after the session.
Try the following exercise when you have a drink of water at the end of the session:
Slow down and take a deep breath. Wiggle your toes and feel the floor supporting you. Relax your shoulders and jaw.
Imagine each sip of water swirling through your body from top to bottom.
Focus on the brain with the first sip and feel the water washing through your head onto your brain and the sides of the skull.
The next sip of water washes over your shoulders and into your lungs. The next sip sloshes down your arms and into your finger tips You get the drill? Elbows, buttocks, knees. Rinse out your body. The cold water moves through your body and dilutes the toxins.
It’s like rinsing out a dirty canister.
With the final sip imagine all the water slowing seeping out of your feet and into the floor. Let gravity be gravity. The floor is thirsty and will drink it up.
The exercise slows you down and makes you conscious of your body from your nose to toes.
It’ll clean you out, ground and recharge you.
Guides
When I go for a hike in new territory I take a map or consult a guide. When I’m driving to a new location I pull out my phone and turn on navigation. It makes no sense to get in the car and start driving before I have directions.
When it comes to a spiritual journey most people do the opposite. Maybe they read a book, watch a film or speak to someone who inspires them. They make a decision to investigate and explore which is awesome, but they forget to pick a guide.
If you’ve woken up and are searching for answers, the first step is realizing that having a guide will keep you on track when you lose your way. This path has already been trodden by poets and mystics – take someone’s hand and follow. If you reach out, someone will hold your hand.
Extend and Open Up
Here’s a quick morning stretching exercise. Actually you can do it anywhere, while waiting for a bus, standing in line for lunch or cooking over the stove.
Stand up straight and imagine a string attached to the top of your head. The string slowly tightens and lifts up your head and extends your neck. You are getting taller and taller as your neck and spine extend. Keep your eyes level and shoulders and jaw relaxed.
At the same time plant your feet firmly on the ground and apply pressure to your heels rooting them to the floor. Wriggle your toes and feel the ground.
You now have your head and neck extending like an ostrich and are anchored to the ground like an oak tree.
As you grow taller, every joint opens up from your knees, hips, spine, chest and neck.
Take 3 deep inhales and exhales while in this posture.
See nature where you are
Nature is everywhere. A sidewalk tree, leaves underfoot, moss in the cracks, flocks of pigeons, solitary hawks and noisy seagulls.
Feel the wind on your face. Open up your senses to it and you’ll realize that nature is all around you.
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