The practice: What Is rather than What If…

“Our suffering is caused by holding on to how things might have been, should have been, could have been.” Stephen Levine

Daily Reflection:  How often do you get caught in the WHAT IF mind? What if this happens in the future or what if that doesn’t happen??? In moments of not knowing, uncertainty and change, the WHAT IF mind can take over and create a tremendous amount of suffering: worry, anxiety, and stress. The WHAT IF mind often leads us towards a delusion of control; our need to control various aspects of our lives that we actually do not have control of. Through awareness, you can start to feel the effects of the WHAT IF mind on your physical, mental and emotional body.

Today, see if it is possible to notice the WHAT IF mind, leaning forward into the future, worrying or wanting to control.  Once you notice it, name it, and then see if you can switch your attention to WHAT IS… bringing your awareness to what is actually happening in the present moment. The WHAT IS mind connects us to the here and now, to the direct experience of what is actually happening without adding on or subtracting from.  Practice being present with WHAT IS through allowance and receptivity.     

 “Acknowledging that this is the structure of the game we are playing allows us to play it differently. How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience and, therefore, the quality of our lives.” – Sam Harris

Meditation Challenge: As you sit in stillness today, choose your primary object of attention (body, breath, sound, etc.), and see if you can notice when the mind drifts away… into some other place or time. In this moment of recognition, try making a soft mental note of what is happening … oh, thinking is happening… planning is happening…. remembering… judging, etc. And as you note what is happening in the mind, can do this with compassion and without judgement, knowing a wandering mind is part of being human? Once you have noted the thinking mind, then allow yourself to let it go and begin again, coming back to your object of awareness, simply doing one thing at a time.

“When we put down our ideas of what life should be like, we are free to whole heartedly say yes to our life as it is.” Tara Brach