Flying Toast Revisited

Today the toast ejected out of one slot and landed squarely in the other. I saw it out of the corner of my eye....wishing I'd seen it directly but it gave me a morning giggle once again. Thanks magic toaster!

Appreciating Small Things

There's nothing grumpier than me first thing in the morning. By "first thing", I am referring to approximately the first 1.5 hours I am awake. Could be an exaggeration, but for those unfortunate enough to have known me in the early mornings...it's my most unpleasant time. This morning was not much different, until my english muffin flew out of the toaster and landed with a small "plop" right onto the counter. This gave me a chuckle. I know, it's a small silly little thing, but what isn't funny about that scene? Are you a total grouch that you're not laughing if a small piece of toast goes unexpectedly (because I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to do this) flying out of the toaster and lands on your counter? This happened today, and it probably won't happen tomorrow or the next, or for a very long time for that matter -- so by that logic, I'm a winner!

There's opportunities like this all day long that nearly always go unnoticed as we live in our worlds of importance, to-do's, deadlines, and stress. Like stopping to smell the roses, I personally like to stop and laugh at silliness in life. Winning things like the random toast flying isn't a big deal...it's true, but if you let it get to you and actually make you smile, your day will be that much brighter.

Unexpected Inspiration

A small commandment I spotted on the Happiness Project Toolbox gave me a lightbulb moment. It said to "be the person you want to be with and fall in love with" (emphasis added). I love two aspects of this commandment: 1)It focuses on being as the active means of "having"...a truth in life I've found hard to comprehend at times, but impossible to avoid; 2)I can't think of a better motivation to be your best self, than to put yourself into the shoes of a person who loves you, an iteration of the golden rule most appealingly put.

Perhaps this inspiring thought has been out there for me to notice before and I've either missed it or dismissed it. I'm noticing now. Sending a thank you to the "interwebs" and all of its participants for this gift of sharing wisdom.

Return to Meditation

A post I came across on White Hot Truth today reminded me of a Buddhist meditation called tonglen. I've practiced tonglen before, but was rekindled by Danielle's description and encouragement of the practice. My current area of focus is being present, and what's more enabling of present-making than a meditation practice? Perfect timing.

So the deal with Tonglen (if you haven't already linked over to White Hot Truth, which is fabulous, you should after reading this!) is that it is a meditation practice where you inhale pain and suffering and exhale goodness and compassion. Sounds odd from a "how can this possibly be good for me?"-perspective, doesn't it? But yet, when you try it, just try it...you will realize it actually doesn't hurt you. You learn that you can project any crazy good vibe you like...and likewise you can take any level of suffering just as much. Is this the whole point behind the practice? Perhaps it's a way to send positive energy into the world, thereby causing a better place?

Admitedly, I'm not sure, even after having read up on Pema Chodron's guiding explanations. I intend to try this more rigorously than I have in the past and report back on my findings.

Getting up at 5:30 to make time for yoga is definitely do-able! Summer's early light makes a difference. Namaste!