Slow Down and Smell the Roses!

 

A few days ago I met with a friend who introduced me to a book called “Your Life Is Your Message” by Eknath Easwaran.  It is a little book with a big message.

I knew it was a book with a message just by the title, and also because my friend had said that he was so impressed by it that he gives it to all his students at the end of his Business and Spiritual Growth class.  I didn’t give it much thought because I am a pretty spiritual person and I do read a lot of books like this one, Vedanta Treatise being my favorite one.  Vedanta Treatise has kept me grounded in very potentially volatile situations and kept me calm and collected,

when otherwise I could have easily lost it.

But, this little book did get me quite wired up when I finally start reading it. I got up early one morning because I had decided the night before that I am going to get back to my early morning reading and teatime. I missed my quiet time with myself. I was pretty good with that until a couple years ago, when my work with Malibu Chronicle magazine was getting busier and I was also taking classes for my Masters in Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine. I have now finished my classes and so my life is a little bit easier, although I hardly realized the difference when I was in it. I have learned through life to just keep putting one foot in front of the other and get things done.

One fine morning when my son, Rahul, was still sleeping, I woke up early to read a few pages from my new book (my gift).   It is an easy read, small passages, short stories, but big messages. After an hour I realized I was still reading and I really wanted to save some time for meditation (since it was also part of my plan from the night before).  It is my compulsive desire if I make a goal I must strive to reach it.

So, I closed the book and meditated for 15 minutes. Everything seemed fine till my son woke up and very lovingly said, “Good morning Mama”. Out of nowhere I had so much to say to him and I must admit none of it nicely. I was upset at him for wasting time, leaving his things all over the place, leaving the lights on all night.  He pushed back for a second, who could blame him. It seemed I’d lashed out for no reason as soon as I saw him. He probably wanted to go right back to bed and away from me. But, my wonderful beautiful son saw me in turmoil and became the calm presence that I needed at the time. Very quickly I understood my mistake but still did not understand why I behaved that way. Now I was upset at being upset.

As I gave myself time and kept trying to understand my own behavior, I realized I was projecting my own hurried life style on my son. I have been on the go and missing out on the good things along the way. I realized from my new book that the more we hurry and try to do too many things at one time, the less time we seem to have.  We can easily delete a lot of unimportant things from our daily schedule and enjoy the ones we choose to do. We will enjoy the things, places and people in our lives more if we only spend some more time with the things, places and people, instead of rushing through them all to the next place or person.

Since that day, I am trying to spend more time doing one thing at a time. I’d like to spend time with the people that I really want to spend time with, and who are good for my well-being, instead of trying to do everything and please everyone.  I know I can never please everyone even if I try. It is a foolish goal anyway. We are all responsible for our own happiness. I am trying to cut out the clutter in my life and stop trying to be part of everything. 

I am very happy with the magazine (Malibu Chronicle) and I am glad I am done with my classes. I am enjoying teaching Peer Mediation at Our Lady of Malibu School. It is very inspiring and satisfying to help young children towards learning how to resolve disputes peacefully and mutually, instead of using anger.

I am happy to refocus and be able spend my morning teatime with my spiritual books.  This practice prepares me for the day and for whatever it brings my way. I always have a choice to engage in a situation or not. If someone or something is not good for me, I remind myself I always have that choice to walk away.

I choose to slow down and smell the roses!

Still Learning to L.I.V.E.

 

Veera

 

*****

 

 

 

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