Turning off the Autopilot

I've been struggling with "Mindfulness," lately. It has a way of showing up in my day-to-day life, in some odd ways. The last few times that I've gone to the grocery store, I've inadvertently knocked something over and caused a spill. The first time it happened I mentally said, "accident." After the fourth time what do you say?

When I'm not Mindful, I instantly feel embarrassed, like a kid with his hand caught in a cookie jar. Why? Because I know better that to move though my life, inattentive and not fully present. In certain moments when I thought it was okay to let my so-called "guard-down," it really wasn't okay to do so. The result was a series of spills over the past few weeks. What a metaphor, for our larger life.

Knocking over a bottle of vitamin water, laundry soap or yogurt may seem small to you, but it has (real) consequences. It can cause inconvenience and harm, not only to myself but others too. On a different scale, if I am engaged in "mindless consumption," that causes a lot of harm to me. If we drive, eat, walk, talk, make breakfast or dinner without thinking or being attentive I "miss," being inside the moment. If I miss, where am I really?

These "incidents" have been a strong reminder for me to turn-off the "autopilot." As Genjo Marinello Osho often says, "Concentrate! Be present! Be aware! Be alert! Wake-up, wake-up, wake-up." So today, my task and practice is clear. Turn off the auto-pilot and "Be Mindful."

Gassho,

Jaye Morris, Curator
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