“Simply being aware of an intense situation is not the same as maintaining a mindful posture toward it. . . . When you know a storm is coming, you can respond to the treat by staying inside or grabbing rain gear on your way out of the house. Instead of reacting, you respond deliberately.”- Aundi Kolber
As Aundi Kolber moves on in Chapter 6 of Try Softer, she stresses that you need to find a way to listen to the truest parts of you. Because when you fail to pay attention to your inner world, you find yourself susceptible to burnout, exhaustion, and chronic pain. Also, since your brain is shaped around what you notice, it’s important to develop effective listening skills. Plus, you need to respond to what your mind and body tells you.
Hence, Aundi presents three ways for you to live with attention. Today she looks at the first two ways.
1. Bit by Bit Pendulation. You must learn to pace yourself as you work through the process of trying softer. Thus, when you pendulate, first center your attention on something tangible. Something that feels soothing or empowering. Next, shift your focus to something that might feel disturbing.
Above all, when you feel overwhelmed, shift back to your first focus. As a result, you gradually learn to embrace the hard parts of your story. Consequently, the intense pain you feel lessens, and you move forward in your life.
2. Beauty Hunting. When we hunt for beauty, Aundi asserts, we learn to pay attention. Therefore, we keep our eyes open for goodness and for cracks of light. In addition, Aundi loves how the late Irish poet John O’ Donohue spoke about beauty:
“Beauty isn’t all about just nice loveliness. Beauty is about more rounded, substantive becoming. So I think beauty, in that sense, is about the emerging fulness, a greater sense of grace and elegance, a deeper sense of depth, and also a kind of homecoming for the enriched memory of your unfolding life.”
With beauty, Aundi observes, trying softer feels like a homecoming!
Today’s question: What Scriptures help you in maintaining a mindful posture? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “”Leaving the self out of Christian spirituality”
