What Do You Do Then?

Take notice of whats happening in the mind. This moment is nothing other than your life. This is whats happening right now. It's actually quite profound. So if you find yourself resisting something that is going on, or wanting to feel a certain way, to feel peaceful or quiet, remember that's not the point of practice. If we're trying to make something happen, we're not accepting what's in this moment. And when we reject our present moment experience, we're creating a new sort of suffering. Open to each moment, without expectation, so there is a continual letting go of the past as each new moment emerges. Welcome each moment, whatever it looks like. Welcome it if it's messy or confusing or busy or uncomfortable. Accept each moment as it is.  

Today I'd like to talk about the difficulty of acceptance and to explore this theme, I'll share a question I was recently asked, which is: There's one mindfulness principle I really struggle with. I know we're supposed to live in the present, but what if the present is horrible? What do you do then? So this is a very important question and I want to offer my empathy and support to anyone who is enduring difficulty or suffering of any kind. Its a monumental challenge to stay present when whats in our experience is painful. There's never a reason to accept the present if there's something we can do to change it. But the fact is, sometimes change isn't possible. Often whatever is taking place is happening whether we like it or not! So we have 3 choices as to how to respond. We can either choose to accept a situation, we can change it, or we can leave. Sometimes we can find opportunities to change a situation. When destitute, we can seek help. When in pain, we can seek a remedy. We always want to make skillful decisions to improve our circumstances. Or make the wise decision to leave our situation when appropriate. But sometimes there's simply nothing we can do about our circumstances. And when we can't leave, and the situation won't change, all we can do is accept. Because if we don't accept, we're resisting, and that resistance simply amplifies our suffering. If we're experiencing pain or bearing a hardship, the kindest most compassionate thing we can do for ourselves is to get present, and to gently move into acceptance. And this doesn't mean that we should sit down and surrender. It means facing our circumstances with honesty and compassion. It means saying Okay, this is what's happening right now and rather than adding to my suffering by resisting what is, I'll embrace the present, understanding that all things will eventually change. As Wayne Dyer poetically stated, "Enlightenment is the quiet acceptance of what is."

Tamara Levitt, Daily Calm Meditation

I've been trying very hard to practice my mindfulness techniques while navigating my way through this past week. It has completely flown by, at an uncomfortable rate, and I'm just now starting to really allow myself to acknowledge and feel and experience everything that has happened. I've tried so hard to remain present each step of the way, but in that presence I also held back a little - deeming certain times more appropriate than others to really allow myself to be present AND to fully embrace how I was feeling in that present moment. It's a work in progress, but I also needed to be functional!

When asked how I've been feeling, the first thought that comes to mind is restless. Experiencing today's meditation made me realize that is isn't just restlessness, it's resistance. Resistance to acknowledge how I'm feeling, resistance to vocalize how I'm feeling, resistance to accept how I'm feeling... and the helplessness that comes with not being able to do a damn thing about any of it. I am sitting in the middle of that "challenging experience" and I've been struggling with letting go of it all. Accepting what is. Really looking at where things are for me. I have to stop trying to force myself to feel one way, just as I have to stop holding myself back from feeling another. Simply accepting what is in this present moment.