A Buddhist Monk

So the other day my wife and I were doing some cleaning up in our garden, removing some bushes and cutting down some small trees. I actually like working in the garden, although you might not have known it from the amount of complaining I was doing.
Especially when I had to cut the wood and carry it to the front of the house.
It was at that moment my wife calmly reminded me (laughingly I may add) of the Zen proverb,

"Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water, after enlightenment, chop wood carry water".

I'm not sure how far along the path of enlightenment I am, but I do know, once again, my wife knew how to get me back on track. And so, it came to be, after a long afternoon of work, there along the curb sat the fruits of our labor, piles of not so neatly stacked wood, tree branches, weeds and bushes. I must say I was feeling pretty good about a job well done.

A couple hours and a shower later we were heading out for an evening with friends. Imagine my surprise, at the exact moment we were leaving, a van pulled up to the front of our house and out stepped two Buddhist monks. Just to remind you, we live in Haddonfield, NJ, not Burma or Nepal.

Was this a sign? Was the universe showing me a new path?
I certainly took it as one.

As they silently asked if it was ok for them to take the wood, I (not so silently) asked if I may call upon them to learn more of their practices.
Brother Michio granted my request and gave me his phone number.
I called, and yesterday went to his home and enjoyed 3 hours speaking dharma and truth, religion and spirituality, of the natural laws of the universe and of how we each create our own life. We sat legs folded (ok, I admit, he sat legs folded, I was unable to after 10 minutes) and talked about having desires and being desireless, of things that are good and of things that are bad. He showed me his garden, from which he eats most of his meals, and explained much about how our egos can so often control us. The more we spoke, the more I realized how much further I have on my path to enlightenment. He seemed to enjoy my one minute practices and my Be Your Own Wingman philosophy. Each time I asked how, or what I could do to further my understanding, he would smile and say, “one minute at a time”.

And so, once again my path was affirmed. For my one minute practices that I’ve been sharing with you, are, just as Brother Michio said, one minute steps towards more peace, more contentment, more understanding, and in his words, more realization.

Isn’t it amazing what an afternoon of gardening can bring about? (Although please don’t tell my wife).

Thanks for allowing me to be your wingman today.
In Appreciation,

Michael

I love how everything always works out for me.

I love when I come up with a new practice that sticks.
The other day, I saw the movie, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and there’s a scene where Dev Patel says,
“Here we have a saying, everything will be all right in the end, so if it is not all right, it is not the end”.

It got me thinking, which led me to my new, one minute practice.

“I love when everything works out for me.”
I started saying that on Monday and it felt great. So I continued each morning this week.

Take one minute and say to yourself,
“Everything always seems to work out for me.”

I recorded myself this morning and this is what I said.

“It’s so cool how everything always works out for me.
Oh Wow! This will be so interesting to see how this (situation) will work out for me.
It doesn’t seem possible but I know this will work out for me because everything always works out for me.
I am so lucky that everything always works out for me.
I don’t know how this will work out for me, but I know it will, and I can’t wait to find out how. It will really be interesting.
What an interesting and fascinating day this will be, I am so excited for it.
It is so awesome how everything always works out for me.

What a great feeling it is to know this will work out.
How do I know? Because everything always works out for me!
There have been so many times that things did not seem to be going my way, but yet they always work out.
It’s been so cool to see how the universe unfolds, and to see how things end up working out for me.

It is so exciting to look back and see how things ended up working out so well.
I’m having so much fun.
And to think I used to worry whether things would work out.
It’s so funny to look back and see how they worked out, for they always do.

OMG, I can’t believe how everything worked out.
I’m so fortunate that everything always works out for me.
It’s really interesting when things seem to not be working out and how it challenges me.
When I think about how things always work out for me I feel GREAT!
So often, I’m in a situation where it doesn’t seem possible that it could work out to my liking, yet it always does. I’m really lucky in that respect.
Things do seem to always work out for me.

Sometimes it seems so impossible, that my logical mind can’t even imagine.
Those are the times I just sit back and let the universe work it out for me. It always does.
When I just relax and let the universe handle it, things always work out for me.

What an amazing feeling.

I love practicing this feeling, and I love when I can let the How’s and the Why’s go and just allow things to work out.
It is so amazing and so much fun, when I can just let it go. When those “issues” work out, those are the times I really enjoy and appreciate life.
I don’t know how it always happens, but everything always works out for me.”

Please try it, and hopefully it will work as well for you.

Thanks for letting me be your wingman today.
In Appreciation,

Michael

My New Favorite Practice

Back in February I wrote about being introduced to the practice of saying thank you. I’m happy to say this practice has become one of my favorites, meaning I practice it often.

I have found the more I say thank you, the more I find to say thank you about. Try it, it’s easy, I put the timer on my phone for one minute (sometimes more) and start saying thank you as if I’m standing at the Academy awards, just saying thank you to a mass of strangers without any real reason.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, thank you. “

I then start thinking of reasons I have to be thankful.

Thank you for reading this.

Thank you for helping me create a synergy amongst all of us.

Thank you for helping me help people bring positive energy into their lives.

Thank you for helping me to practice what I preach.

Thank you for helping me help myself. I appreciate it greatly.

Thank you for finding love in all the right places.

Thank you for the air that I breathe.

Thank you for the walk through the woods I take every morning.

Thank you for the clothes that I wear.

Thank you for the sun that shines down on me.

Thank you for the rain that helps nurture my world.

Thank you for the car that I drive.

Thank you for my job.

Thank you for the opportunity to earn money.

Thank you for my being me.

Give yourself a hug and thank yourself for who you are and where you are right now.

Thank you for this exciting adventure I’m on.

Thank you for reminding me of the divine being I am.

Thank you for helping me remember I’m in charge of my life.

Thank you for my ability to reason and understand.

Thank you for the brain in my head.

Thank you for the energy that is all around me.

Thank you for helping me attract positive energy.

Thank you for my thought process that I now know I can change in 60 seconds by consciously practicing finding the positive.

Thank you for the mystery that is me.

Thank you for my family.

Thank you for my friends.

Thank you for my understanding that I can create anything I want, just by thinking of it.

Thank you for allowing me to be your wingman today.

In Appreciation,

Michael