Mindfulness

I spend more time in my head than I’d like to admit. Yes, I may come across like some self-actualized guru, but truth be told, I’m often a man on the verge of a nervous breakthrough.

“A new set of faculties seem to be coming into operation. I seem to be awakening to a larger world of wonderment - to catch little glimpses of the immensity and diversity of creation. More than at any other time in my life, I seem to be aware of the beauties of our spinning planets and the sky above. And now I have the time to enjoy them. I feel that old age sharpens our awareness.” - Polly Francis

Wondering while wandering can be a beautiful and profound form of presence. But then my mind starts whirling and worrying about things as if some destination needs to be quickly established or I have lost my direction; my purpose, indeed my very meaning.

A friend of mine recently called me this term. She said that religion and spirituality are just a means of communication with the divine, and there are multiple languages for doing that. She told me that a “spiritual pluralist” believes that all of these languages are perfectly acceptable but that the commonality amongst all of them is “love.” Sounds a little like our MEA Baja shaman Saul, right?

We all say we want to be happy. Happy feels great. It seems like the goal to shoot for, but ultimately happy isn’t where you want to land. Why? Because the state of being what we call happy is often contingent upon getting something or someone, whether it’s the love of your life, the money, the job, the house, the car, the designer handbag, courtside tickets or something else, and eventually the happiness will disappear and we will be left disappointed, frustrated, or yearning for the next shiny thing.

A recent New York Times story reminded me of this almost un-American concept, even though it's how most Americans experience Paris. Flâner is a verb meaning 'to stroll,' while a flâneur is a person of leisure who enjoys wandering the streets—soaking in the city and surroundings while appreciating its beauty.

In a past post, I talked about one of MEA’s wisdom practices of “Mentoring Stones.” The fine art of rock balancing has a lot in common with mentoring. Both require presence, patience, and an intuition for knowing when to step back and realize the rock or young person is ready to stand on their own.

The Dark Night of the Soul was popularized by a 16th-century mystic and Spanish poet who believed that a purification of the spirit comes from facing difficult challenges and surrendering to God’s wishes. In modern, secular times, it is often considered a time when one is going through a series of seemingly-impossible circumstances like the death of a loved one, the breakup of a marriage, or a painful failure.

Happy Independence Day in the U.S.! Time is the ultimate luxury as we age. As Kevin Kelly says, “The rich have money. The wealthy have time. It’s easier to become wealthy than rich.”

Sharing a bale of hay with Chip touring MEA’s Rising Circle Ranch outside Santa Fe, I asked if “reverent” was one of the five Ranch words. No, it was Sunmount’s, in-town campus. Thinking of the Blessed Mother statue in the courtyard, the Chapel’s mosaic façade and the envisioned Library, I agreed.