What did 2020 say to the face?
One of my favorite Buddhist teachings uses suffering to get a point across.
In it, a monk, after many years of devotion, walks up to his master and questions why he hadn’t reached enlightenment yet. Following all traditions, studying all the texts had led to no Nirvana; no moment of clarity. The master sat there, listening intently and then without warning or hesitation, slapped the living fok out his student, interrupting the rant.
The student was immediately enlightened.
He finally understood “the now”!
In one way or another, we all experienced negativity last year. Nothing new, except I think the perfect storm came together so that 2020 would become one big drawn out slap to the face of our collective reality.
So I say, let us not dwell on the misery of what already happened; or become distracted by the uncertainty of what may be coming up next. Let us take the lessons from the year of hell and learn to live in a clearer reality. Let us use the flames from the dumpster fire that was 2020 to light our way in 2021.
Let last year be the slap that catalyzes our growth. Personally. Collectively. Globally.
Good Times.
“If you are depressed you are living in the past if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present.” —Lao Tzu