Life offered up a workshop recently that took the form of a technology project. I inherited a newer computer that needed to be prepared for the data transfer from my older computer. “This,” I thought to myself, “probably happens thousands of times every day. How difficult could it be?”
… After many hours of following directions from technical support people over the phone, the project had become a real workshop. Between the initial excitement and anticipation about having a newer faster computer, to feeling like I would not be able to stand another moment on the phone with another technical support person, there had been many different experiences like willingness, cooperation, kindness, determination and laughter.
In the end, the “technology workshop” ultimately demonstrated that external circumstances do not determine experience, and that it is possible to choose moment by moment the experience, no matter what the circumstance. Wow!! What an exquisite, brilliant design for Life. I get to choose the life I want, not once, but moment by moment by directing attention to the experience I want to have. I can choose to be HERE rather than in ruminations and stories that lead to suffering, like “This should not be taking so long!"
Should I fail to choose Life in any given moment, and choose conditioning instead, Life kindly reminds me where I am and what I have chosen by the fact that I am suffering or dissatisfied. How kind and compassionate is Life’s design to offer immediate feedback when we stray off course. How fortunate we are to have the Happy Blessed Opportunity to choose Life moment by moment, and to have access to all the activities available through practice that encourage and support making that choice.
Gasshō,
Cameron