How To Make a Proper Cup of Tea

OUR WHOLE LIFE COULD BE A RITUAL We could learn to stop when the sun goes down and when the sun comes up. We could learn to listen to the wind; we could learn to notice that it’s raining or snowing or hailing or calm. We could reconnect with the weather that is ourselves, and we could realize that it’s sad. The sadder it is, and the vaster it is, the more our heart opens. We can stop thinking that good practice is when it’s smooth and calm, and bad practice is when it’s rough and dark. If we can hold it all in our hearts, then we can make a proper cup of tea. - Pema Chodron My friend, Erin, over at In Search of White Space has been delving deeply and stirring up questions of who I am and why I'm here and what life is really about. When I read the above quote today from Pema Chodron I felt a click inside, a deep 'yes' that attention to what is, and holding it in my heart without judgement of good or bad is my way forward. Then I re-saw the photos of my grandchildren with their knowing of that truth. I made myself a cup of tea.

Embrace What Is

SEE WHAT IS For us, as people sitting here meditating, as people wanting to live a good, full, unrestricted, adventurous, real kind of life, there is concrete instruction that we can follow, which is the one we have been following all along in meditation: see what is. Acknowledge it without judging it as right or wrong. See it clearly without judgment and let it go. Come back to the present moment. From now until the moment of your death, you could do this. As a way of becoming more compassionate, as way of becoming less dogmatic, prejudiced, determined to have your own way, absolutely sure that you’re right and the other person is wrong, as a way to develop a sense of humor, to lighten it up, open it up, you could do this. Pema Chodron I've been setting this as my goal each day lately in an effort to stay in my now as a retired woman, and look what happened. I've been asked to come back to Crossroads in Antigua to work for six weeks. Crossroads is Eric Clapton's drug and alcohol residential treatment facility where I worked for 2 1/2 years and consulted for short stints in the last couple of years. Check out the hotlink above to see more about beautiful Crossroads and their world class treatment program. I leave early tomorrow and feel so glad for the opportunity to do the work I believe in with the clients I've devoted my professional carrier to. If that isn't enough, I'll be with my dear friend since 1987, Annee, who will be working there as well. Indeed, she was the one who introduced me to Crossorads. Bless her! Another chance to become more compassionate, less prejudiced and dogmatic, To lighten up , to open up and to help others do the same. As one who wants to live a full, unrestricted, adventurous, real kind life, I'm grateful and amazed. I'll keep in touch.