Friday, July 3, 2015

The art of waiting patiently and living well

Central to the Bhagvad Gita is this simple and yet unfollowable piece of advice: Do what you need to do (your duty----this book is big on "duty"), and then quit worrying/obsessing about how things will play out, since that is not in your piddly ability to influence.

Would'nt life be so much better if we could follow this, to the letter?

Courtesy Google Images
I am playing the waiting game with the US consulate, and I am trying to forget that I am waiting, and just use this time constructively. Ha.  Working on that.

Before Gauri came along, if you had asked me what I wanted, it would be to be a mother. Currently, if you ask me, I want an email from the consulate saying they will stamp my passport to get me a green card.

But beyond that? What do I need now to be happy, now that I have Gauri? I asked myself that a few days ago while meditating (I manage a very insignificant, yet helpful few minutes), and the answer surprised me: Not the perfect man, not so much money that I could give up worrying about the practicalities of life, but to be the best version of myself possible.

And here is the thing: it is a workable goal, but the very first step is discipline, and that I have to master, and ALL my life, I have had problems with that, outside of work.

I want to focus on this now in very small ways, mostly because this is time out of time as I wait, and I really need to be as fighting fit as possible before I get back on a plane to the US to begin the next phase of my life, whenever that happens. Wish me luck! 

6 comments:

  1. Very profound. I really identify with what you said. My sole focus in life now is to be the best mother I an be & am content with that being my goal. I need to keep myself to looking too far ahead to when Elena doesn't need to be mothered in such a constant way...what will become of me then? So I just focus on now.

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  2. I too am at similar place in my life: "to be the best version of myself possible."

    And to think, when I was a kid, I thought adults had it ALL figured out. Haha!

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  3. That sounds like a great goal. I am in a similar space too. Though it frustrates me at times that i haven't "got there" yet, I think its great that no matter how old we get we always have something to learn, something to focus on, and the potential to grow.

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  4. Good luck, Jay ! May you get what you want and let it bring you much happiness.

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  5. Totally a workable goal...if you have a plan of course :)

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  6. That's really a profound desire, to be the best version of you that you can be. As long as you don't use it in any sort of harsh way, but that you keep being gentle and kind with yourself. And in terms of being fighting fit for your journey, do what you can now, but remember that context draws from us what is required. Once you are there and need your A-game, your A-game will emerge. It's within you. You are whole and wonderful RIGHT NOW :)

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