My life, like many of yours lately, has been packed. Just packed with things to do. Maybe it’s where my family is, with two kids finishing high school and getting ready for college. Work is intense right now too - you know when even if there isn’t a thousand things to do there’s this ongoing, constantly increasing pressure at work? That’s my professional life right now. It’s just crazy.
I was reflecting on meditation teachings I've been given over the years to help deal with this kind of situation. The first time I can remember talking with a meditation teacher about busyness and speed I was working in a restaurant. I was the only person in the front of the restaurant, so I did everything from seating people to clearing and resetting the table. We had a great chef and aspirations to make a special place so the standards were high.
And it was working - some nights it got so busy that I would finish my shift in a total daze. Like what had just happened?
My meditation teacher at the time was a man named Robert Spellman. I told him about the restaurant and the rushes of activity. He listened for a while and then said “Just feel the speed. You don’t need to slow down. You can’t slow down and still do your job. As you are moving that fast, when you are that busy, just feel it. Feel the weight of the tray on your hand. Feel your legs carry you from the kitchen to the table. Feel the pen as you write out the order. Just experience it all.”
That was profound to me. I thought that meditation was all about being quiet, still, calm. Robert taught me it was about being aware, present, no matter what was going on.
Now, when I remember that, I actually find lots of little eddies in the busyness. There are spots when you can rest, even when life is crazy and the pressure is building. When I can be present for those moments too, then the whole thing seems much more workable.
Ok, let’s practice. See if you can feel the speed your life is moving at, and instead of trying to change it, just experience it for what it is this morning.