Practice Wakefulness
Twined in the tail end of a dream
You sit up in bed
Swatting at something invisible
There are moths
They’re too many
They’re annoying
Stumbling, to the kitchen you go
The desk there is practically hidden
With papers from work that fulfilling is not
With bills from a lifestyle you enjoy not
And a wall calendar crammed with to-dos.
You gulp down cold water
cringe at the eyesore
And back to the warm bed return
How did this happen to you?
Like a creature with dissatisfying and unhealthy patterns,
you sleepwalk. I sleepwalk.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
“A voice comes to your soul saying
Lift your foot. Cross over.” ~Rumi
It’s time for us to learn to practice wakefulness.
To lift our foot. To cross over.
It’s the surest way for spiritual intelligence to begin to surge forth.
***
Buddhism teaches that, to some extent, we are all aware of what we’re doing. We all have innate awareness. It’s always there. Where else would it go?
Unfortunately, this awareness is not always operating at full capacity.
- learned behavior
- habits
- distractions
- illusions
- beliefs
These are a few of the culprits that obscure awareness. To that list add, mindlessness, heedlessness, carelessness: the symptom of our present age. These are the opposite of mindfulness.
When We Talk About Mindfulness
- We are talking about the alert presence of mind.
- We are talking about bringing that innate awareness we already possess and making it sharper.
- We are talking about paying attention.
The way we do this is by training ourselves to notice our relationships and discerning the interconnections between our actions and their effects.
- Mindfulness trains us to pay attention to the karmic implications and ramifications of our personal behavior.
- It helps us to slow down.
- And in training ourselves to slow down we come to utilize our innate intelligence and sensitivity.
- In turn, our sensitivity perks up and we begin to savor the feel of our experiences.
- We learn to think before we leap.
“A voice comes to your soul saying
Lift your foot. Cross over.” ~Rumi
Let’s stop living our wakeful hours like moths attracted to flames. May we stop Spiraling into Despair. (note: this link will open a 2020 post on this website that’s still
relevant today).
A prompt on the Rumi Quote. First published on Medium as Practice Wakefulness
THANK YOU FOR READING
I Wish You Miracles.
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Hi Selma,
Sometimes it’s important to have someone remind us that after thinking long, its time to: “Lift your foot. Cross over.”
Thanks Rumi! Thanks Selma!
It’s the truth, ain’t it. We need these reminders. Good thing that the Universe is conspiring to get us to take notice. Glad you liked it, R. Be well. Happy Summer. I send you blessings. IWYM too.