Every Bit Counts

  Every bit of our presence in the world counts. I think that people often take this for granted, wanting to impress or try to be something bigger than they are, and yet the small things that a person does can make a difference. For example, the decision to "just show up", and be as fully present as possible, can be a form of subtle appreciation. I choose to attend to this moment for which I am a part because I know that this is happening and not something else. When I choose to be present, I can have whatever emotional responses arise--in fact, I can own those experiences, without necessarily being overly invested in them. And in this way, my purpose in the world starts to manifest, and I can expand to include many factors.

   With presence comes less reliance on an object to declare myself, and more availability--less fear of the unknown, and more appreciation of even seemingly painful or negative experiences. Again, the importance here is not to pick and choose our experiences, but rather to be truly available to them. It means acceptance but it also means being able to be generative and creative, rather than simply being passive. This requires a fair amount of trust. I sometimes liken this to the way walking meditation practitioners will "lean forward" while engaging in fast-walking meditation, as a way of encouraging ourselves to be more energetic in practice. That leaning forward is an indication of trust: trusting that what I generate will balance itself and will have a purpose, will be received properly by the world as needed.