a post by Euan Semple for his blog The Obvious
I love mountains and I love climbing them. In the past, having to cancel our walk up Foel Fras in Snowdonia yesterday due to the thundery weather, would have left me in a very bad mood. I would have felt sorry for myself and resentful that the weather wasn’t what I wanted. I would have spent the day with a metaphorical, self induced, cloud over my head.
But I am getting much better at accepting the way things actually are rather expending needless energy on what Buddhists call clinging or aversion, trying to hold on to things we like and push away things we don't.
I used to think this meant apathy, a sort of passive stupor, laissez faire at its worst extreme. But it doesn’t. You still plan to do things, you still engage with the world and expend effort to move life forwards – you just don't get bent out of shape when it doesn't happen the way you expect.
The result of my new found equanimity was that instead of Penny having to deal with me acting like a bear with a sore head we had a very pleasant day exploring Anglesey, the highlight of which was a multi scone clotted cream tea – possibly my second favourite thing after mountains!
That’s it. Short, sweet and very much to the point. Perhaps a link to Tara Brach’s thoughts on radical acceptance. https://www.tarabrach.com/articles-interviews/trauma/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment