‘Is that all to life?’
The most common mid-life-crisis declaration I have heard.
As human begins, we yearn. From infancy to child, from teen to adulthood, we yearn. We yearn to be seen or heard; we yearn to be a part of something that matters. Perpetual yearning causes sufferings. It turns on this monitor in the background that hums steadily, reminding us that we are constantly not at where we want to be.
A habitual rejection of where we are.
The ‘me’ in the future matters. Not the ‘me’ in the now.
That’s the problem.
It’s important to yearn.
A healthy yearning drives our aliveness, allowing us to feel purposeful and passionate, and be engaged and curious. And this aliveness moment to moment is crucial to our human experience. It’s crucial to being human.
But we have truly misunderstood when we overly attach this human nature of yearning to a specific end point, thing or outcome. Or worse, an endpoint told to us by others.
Hold our yearnings. Don’t BE our yearnings.
We matter now.
What if our yearning for life to matter is all about — Now?
Modern living has created a false extension to yearning — this disillusioned need to resolve it. The belief that a certain future state or thing might quench it — To be popular, to be rich, have a dream career, a good marriage, an abundant retirement, a rich legacy or even spiritual enlightenment.
What if this yearning and restlessness we feel within just needs to be lived out completely in the moment?
Burn it Down
When I want to rest, I rest completely.
When I want to play, I play with no care in the world.
When I want to eat, I taste with absolutely all my senses, smell, feel, chew.
When I listen, I listen with my whole being.
When I speak, I bask in my full energetic expression.
When I walk..
This wind in my face.
This cloud drifting past.
This hand I am holding in mine.
This breath.
This Moment. Full and Alive.
Yearning burnt completely to the ground moment to moment.
That’s my yearning.
What’s yours?
Originally published on www.Mingmindfulness.com.
