Slow or fast? Meditation for 1/12/14

“There is not time like the present.”  -  Unknown

“Haste makes waste.”  -  Unknown

     Perhaps the first quote should have read: “There is no time but the present.”  Of course, it is always the present moment.  But this quote seems to refer to procrastination – a human trait rooted in fear that seems to plague us all with regularity.  And the second quote refers to recklessness - another trait that is rooted in fear and plagues many of us.  Reality is that there are times that call for action and other times that call for discretion.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to get started on something, and other times the hardest thing to do is to do nothing at all.  It almost seems that if we do the opposite of our first instinct odds are higher that we are on the right track.  But of course each circumstance varies.

     When faced with a decision, if we have quieted ourselves and truly sought guidance our answer usually becomes clear quickly.  But there are those times we cannot seem to get intuitively connected, and so we reach out to others that we trust.  With me, most of the time I am struggling with a decision I have not done either of these two things for the simple reason that I am pretty sure the answer I am going to get isn’t the one I think I want.  But there are the rare occasions that we cannot get connected and no one has an answer.  Now what?

      Well, our dilemma is either deciding to do something we are reluctant about or deciding to not do something we are keen to do.   In either case we can ask ourselves what it is we fear.  If I don’t do this, what will I lose?  If I do this, what is the risk?  How realistic are these risks – are they simply my anxieties about what other people will think about me if I fail?  Am I afraid of starting something that will turn into a process over which I will not have full control?  Am I afraid that some opportunity is going to slip by and never present itself again?  Or, in the case of procrastination, am I putting off this task just because I am worried that if I do it I will just have another task to do?  Once we isolate the fear we can usually determine if it is a rational fear or if it is just another anxiety rooted in our worry about whether other people will see us as inadequate if we fail.  Which leads us to the ever-present fear/shame connection.  When we isolate the fear the associated potential shame usually becomes apparent quickly, and it seems to always have to do with what others think.

     Other things we can ask ourselves:  If I err, am I erring on the side of compassion?  What are my intentions in this circumstance?  Are they pure or do I have a hidden agenda?  Am I being honest with myself about the potential risks and rewards of this circumstance?  Does what I am doing seek to create harmony and an environment of inclusiveness or does it lend itself to exclusiveness and divisiveness?  As the old saying goes, when all is said and done more is said than done.  But when we are unsure there can be something quite spiritual about a sandwich and a nap.  But one thing for sure – when we isolate our fear and shame out of situations we gain the detachment to be a lot more objective.  And whatever we decide will be a lot easier to live with later down the line.

Today may I be prudent.   

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Thanks all, and have a great Wednesday !!