Taming the beast

I love the title for this new blog post, and of course, it has nothing to do with actual animals. But I think it appropriate for the times we are living in, because when you think about it, there are so many beasts lurking around every corner, right? And these beasts come in so many different shapes and sizes. It all comes down to perspective:  are these “beasts” really threats, or are they challenges meant to make us stronger in our lives? Depending upon your answer, this will determine the experience you have in handling these life situations.

The first thing I think we all need to is to just relax. People seem inordinately concerned with things in their lives, and it’s easy to see why: there are so many more things for us to deal with on a daily basis compared to just ten years ago. And many of these daily tasks are so much more complicated. When a router malfunctioned in my apartment recently, getting a new one compatible with my three year old computer  was a process, and then my Roku would not recognize the twenty-five digit password for the new router!  High tech yes, and when working provided an amazing video experience. But when the router malfunctioned,  the simple task of replacing and reconfiguring the router was not so simple. And this is just one event, and admittedly far from life threatening. When external world events are added to this personal equation, the need to relax becomes even more important.

The second thing to keep in mind is letting go. People and things come into and exit our lives at dazzling speed these days.  And the people we may have relied on for support in our lives may very well need support themselves. I think what we are being offered today is the full human experience, that is, we are seeing(whether we like it or not) both sides of every life situation. And sometimes we would prefer not to see so much. But the times we are living in seem conducive for people to share everything, in the interests of transparency. I can’t say that I am one of those people, but I am definitely not surprised when most people I encounter behave this way. In this environment, it really pays dividends to remember to just let go.

The third thing to be mindful of is to live in this moment only. That means that my main consideration for every person and situation is what can I offer, and what is offered to me in this moment.  Can we find mutually satisfactory common ground? I am not concerned with the past of this person, nor do I dwell on my own past. I have been aware for some time of the importance of living in the moment, but I have never felt so compelled to so as now.

And this behavior does not come from fear, quite the contrary.  I find it the best modus operandi to “tame the beast.”