It is moments like these....

       It is moments like I had tonight that provide a perfect opportunity to teach compassion for ourselves.  Tonight I experienced what I call a professional hiccup.  I presented in front of a large group and well, if I had to grade myself, I would give myself an F.  I absolutely did everything they teach you NOT to do in Public Speaking 101.  I spoke in circles, didn't stay on task by following my "script", froze and actually asked for a moment to collect myself.  Of course those that were with me, disagreed with my perception and because they have seen my presentation skills before they also know that I am not only comfortable speaking in front of a large group, but that I do it rather well.  None the less, it felt awful, awkward and it was most embarrassing for me.  It was a train wreck folks, make no mistake.

You see, no matter how well we do something, and how often we do that something well, there will be moments that we hiccup.  A moment where nerves get the best of us, we feel flustered from being late to a meeting, feel scattered, have an argument with a loved one, or feel tired.  It could be anything that triggers us enough to block us from doing that thing well!  

Paradox of Age ~ the 14th Dalai Lama.

We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense;
more knowledge but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines but less healthiness.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble in crossing the street to meet our new neighbour.
We built more computers to hold more copies than ever,
But have less real communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;
Tall men but short characters;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It’s a time when there is much in the window
But nothing in the room. 


I first saw the words above in a Tibetan gift shop in Mystic, CT, last weekend.  As I was reading them, I found myself feeling relief knowing that I wasn't the only one that felt this way.

Mindfulness, "TAKE ONE"

In the world as we know it today, most people live in a constant frenzy.  Do you ever feel like you are racing through your days with out any control over your environment?  Ask yourself what are the repeated "things to do" statements that flood your brain?  How many activities have you signed your children up for after school?  How many things are you doing today that you do NOT want to do, REALLY do not want to do?  Be honest with yourself.  Are these "things" enhancing your family and you as an individual or are they depleting your energy and steering you from your family values?  Are you the one dictating your schedule of "things to do" or is the schedule dictating to you?  Do you even recognize that it should be the other way around?

EGO:

When you understand how your ego "protects" you, you are then able to decipher why it "protects" you from your own truth.  At that point you can see that your ego isn't protecting you at all.   It's potentially causing you more harm and making it more difficult to evolve into the person you want to be.

Our ego likes things just as they are.  If you are attempting to free yourself from a self fulfilling prophecy and keep getting stuck.  No matter what you try, that same brick wall keeps showing up.  It isn't you that is holding you back...it's your ego.