Mindfulness Place

COVID-19 – Resources for Coping and Resiliency

A Happy Zoom Tale

Give up your attachment to having things your way.

Iyanla Vanzant

I have a newer friend with whom I have been meeting weekly via Zoom. Recently our continuity has been a bit bumpy due to a number of factors. From the beginning, it has been very apparent that we both appreciate and look forward to our Zoom dates to visit and share.

Yesterday I received an email asking if we might change yesterday morning’s date to today and the time was left open to me. I responded immediately that I was able to accommodate and would look forward to our get together Sunday am and I specified my preferred time. Easy-peasy, gracious and easy and I naturally flowed into my day. I even had gratitude for a greater span of free time.

This morning when I opened my email, I saw a message and invite to meet together by Zoom half an hour later than I had identified. Thanks to my being in a relaxed and clear state of being, Mind relatively still and quiet, I readily saw Mind’s instant activation. It felt in my body like an upward jet stream of annoyance and of feeling disrespected. I noted my precious (to an extreme) valuing of showing up, honouring my commitments, and of being “on time” (thanks Dad). And man, I was taking myself oh so seriously!!!!! This was almost in a flash of instant and I felt the ouch of it all!

And, then as quickly as it arose, it was gone – and I caught a shadow trail of thought, “I do not have to believe this silliness – about her, about myself, about this.” I remembered again how apparent and heart felt it is by both of us that we appreciate our visits and time spent together. I even remembered that had I wished to, I could graciously assert that either this time does not work for me, or I am free for a lesser period of time to visit. I neither needed to nor wished to respond. This snapped me right back into gratitude and appreciation with a drop or two of humility swirling around.

And I felt a sense of affirmation, of confirmation in the value of being fully present, alive and open in my body. I was even excited at what I’d just ‘done’ – but immediately recognized that this was not a “doing”, but a “beeeeing” present and in body and in the moment. Wow – more please!

Warm regards,

Shelley & Becky

PS I well know that in between the “more please” of experiences like this, there will also be “not like this please” (complete misses in Miss Manners bafoonery and a varying blend of almosts). Ah yeah, back to that practice over and over and over again and then …. keep it goingJ.

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