The Art of Waiting
Waiting is a skill we often ignore. It may seem to have as little value as nothingness, but in Zen, nothingness is a profound state of Being. When we focus on thinking, we tend to aspire to conclusions. This could be attempting to achieve a goal, attaining a desire or simply ending what we are doing, but the art of waiting has a different focus.
With the focus on thoughts, we are much more aware of time. When our awareness goes beyond thinking, we enter a timeless moment where the Wisdom of the Body choreographs our life. The frustration of waiting is our resistance to letting go of our habitual habit of focusing on thinking. Imagine if waiting opened the door to creativity and spirituality. If that happened, waiting would be a gift that was not resisted.
Now let us look at impatience. That is when your awareness has no comfortable place to land. Maybe you were expecting something, but there is nothing comforting to land your awareness on. Let me propose an alternative; you do not have to look to thoughts to comfort you.
If you developed a habit of having your awareness and breath entering the silence beyond your thoughts, your wait would find a comfortable place to land. You do not have to be a philosopher to appreciate the silence beyond your thoughts; you need a habit that is associated to no understanding. If you just create the habit of breathing into silence, that simple comfort justifies your effort. To many, understanding justifies our actions, but sometimes understanding limits you. When you want to go beyond thinking, understanding that justifies your actions limits you to focusing on your thoughts.
In Life Skills Inc., I develop the skills that embrace silence. There inner wisdom finds the comfort we all need. Go to http://ahealthywaytobesick.org to download an e-book that teaches you this simple skill.
© Marc Lerner and Life Skills 2010