February 24, 2021

02

Our motives stem from
our desires and fears.
From what we want 
and don't want.

Look around.
We could do better 
with different reasons
for doing what we do,
and do not.

Reasons that have nothing to do
with our advantage,
gain,
advancement,
benefit,
pleasure
or profit.

There are two approaches
to take in finding new reasons
for doing what we do.
Here is the first:

Sit still and be quiet,
watching what goes through 
your mind.
You are waiting for something
to arise that you are not
responsible for.

You don't think it,
remember it,
imagine it.
It isn't logical 
or reasonable,
and comes out of nowhere.
Suddenly, it is just there.

You will know it when it happens.
Wait. 
Watching.

When it happens,
decide what to do about it.
What is it asking of you?
What is it calling for?
What are you going to do about it?

The other approach is to simply
observe each situation as it arises,
looking for what needs to happen there.
What is called for?

Do it.
To the best of your ability,
with what you have to offer
from the gifts, talents, traits,
virtues, skills, abilities,
interests, etc.
that come with you from the womb.

For no reason other than it needs to be done.

If you begin living from these two
approaches to doing what you do,
you will transform your relationship
to your life,
by seeking to serve something beyond
your own interests and advantage.

And it will improve the world.

–0–

01

Being in the moment
is the most important place to be,
and we hardly ever
spend any time there.

We are forever thinking about
where we have been,
or where we would like to be,
or what we hate about our life,
and wishing things were different
somehow--
desiring,
fearing,
resenting,
dreading,
longing for
everything.

Jon Kabat-Zinn offers
the best practice regimen
I know of,
with his YouTube videos
(The shortest ones first)
about being here, now.

Since there is really
nowhere else to be,
why not actually 
do what it takes to be here,
now?

Seeing what is with us here, now,
and what is happening,
and what is trying to happen,
and what is called for,
and how we might help the process
by doing what needs to be done
right here, right now,
because it needs to be done
and not to achieve anything,
or acquire anything,
or accomplish anything
beyond being here, now
in ways beneficial
to here, now
because that is what we are for,
and exactly where we come in?