Why do we strive at all?
Is it not because we are trying to escape from what is?
But if you begin to understand what is, then all striving ceases.
Then there is no effort, only pure observation.
Jiddu Krisnamurti, The Book of Life
no effort needed
Tag: rest
a mystery to be lived
When we forget to rest, we forget who we are – we forget the fragile, miraculous gift of life we have been given. We hurry through our days, fuelled by fear and the false assumption that if we do not keep working, we will lose our place, fall behind, no longer be needed. But in this hurry, we are no longer present for our lives. We miss the quiet moments of connection, the whispers of our own hearts, the fleeting beauty of a world that thrives not on efficiency but on attention, on care.
When we stop – even for a moment – we remember that life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived. We remember that our worth is not measured by what we produce but by the depth of our presence, the courage of our compassion, the willingness to simply be with what is.
Without rest, we lose sight of the sacred. We forget that every breath is a borrowed gift, that every moment is a fragile thread in a vast and shimmering web. We begin to believe that we are indispensable, that the world cannot turn without our effort. Our work is not to keep the world turning but to love the world as it turns – to tend it, bless it, and, when the time comes, to let it go.
Wayne Muller, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives
a balanced approach to work
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 9
What nature teaches
The god of dirt
came up to me many times and said
so many wise and delectable things, I lay
on the grass listening
to his dog voice,
crow voice,
frog voice; now,
he said, and now,
and never once mentioned forever
Mary Oliver, Dream Work
Breathing in and breathing out
Very similar to the wisdom tradition in Ecclesiastes, a long perspective for these uncertain times:
Everything under heaven is a sacred vessel and cannot be controlled.
Trying to control leads to ruin. Trying to grasp, we lose.
Allow your life to unfold naturally. Know that it too is a vessel of perfection.
Just as you breathe in and breathe out, there is a time for being ahead and a time for being behind;
a time for being in motion and a time for being at rest;
a time for being vigorous and a time for being exhausted;
a time for being safe and a time for being in danger.
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, v 29
Mindfulbalance 