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"The Way" of Free Life
So I've been reading this amazing book titled "The Tao of Pooh", written by Benjamin Hoff. Basically, it's a systematic process of explaining how Winnie the Pooh is indeed one of the great Taoist philosophers, because of his ability to live in the Now, let life take its course and go along for the ride, free of frets and concerns.
Actually, I've taken a lot of this to heart. Back in October of last year, I had started having intense headaches that would not go away, no matter the amount of pain medication I took. I ended up with a prescription of 800mg Ibuprofen, and even three to four a day did nothing. It affected me at work, at home, and in school. I ended up on medical leave during the winter break, leaving me to sit at home and do nothing for days on end.
When i started reading the above mentioned book, I realised that I had been stressed beyond what I normally could handle, and I also realised that this just might have been the source of the headaches. That should be apparent; obviously, they were tension headaches, created by the high-stress environment of a holiday-Starbucks experience.
Once I realised this, however, and upon reading the book, I started to try and shift my focus in life, and just let the current flow, and sit back and enjoy wherever I went whilst riding it. I discovered that if I didn't stress about my job, things went smoothly; if I didn't try to force things to happen a certain way, such as try to make too many drinks at once, or if I didn't complain constantly and freak out over a high influx of customers in the drive-thru, then I suddenly had nothing to worry about, and lo and behold, my headaches vanished.
I also noticed that people seem to try and work too quickly, too much, and too often. People coming through in the mornings complained if they had to wait five minutes for their coffee. Why can't they see that, if they stopped trying to rush everywhere and would just sit still for five minutes and enjoy where they were NOW, they would be much better off?
I think mankind as a whole is starting to spiral out of control. Efficiency in our technology has vastly shortened our tolerance for having to wait to get something done or go somewhere we probably don't need to go to anyway. We're always trying to get tasks done ahead of time, always screaming at one another when something goes wrong, blaming everyone around us for the failure in the "flow" we've created around ourselves. The problem? This flow is cancerous; it isn't natural; it's nothing like the flow that Winnie the Pooh would show us, strolling through the forest, sitting by a brook and just taking in the scenery.
If we could just bring ourselves to stop and make small talk, and enjoy what's around us wherever we happen to be, I think we just might save ourselves. After all, I certainly have found that, even if my manager wants the times in drive-thru to be three minutes or less, it doesn't help to set yourself a restriction and the exhaust yourself trying to comply with that unsound goal.
Besides; I can make a good latte. If you have to wait four minutes and twenty six seconds for that double tall soy no-whip mocha, and smile once you take a sip, isn't the time spent watching the clouds roll by while you sit in your car listening to good music worth every second?
Find something good and enjoyable wherever you are. Take it easy. Smell the roses, if you so choose. It's a healthy way to live, when you're not living for the next deadline.
Actually, I've taken a lot of this to heart. Back in October of last year, I had started having intense headaches that would not go away, no matter the amount of pain medication I took. I ended up with a prescription of 800mg Ibuprofen, and even three to four a day did nothing. It affected me at work, at home, and in school. I ended up on medical leave during the winter break, leaving me to sit at home and do nothing for days on end.
When i started reading the above mentioned book, I realised that I had been stressed beyond what I normally could handle, and I also realised that this just might have been the source of the headaches. That should be apparent; obviously, they were tension headaches, created by the high-stress environment of a holiday-Starbucks experience.
Once I realised this, however, and upon reading the book, I started to try and shift my focus in life, and just let the current flow, and sit back and enjoy wherever I went whilst riding it. I discovered that if I didn't stress about my job, things went smoothly; if I didn't try to force things to happen a certain way, such as try to make too many drinks at once, or if I didn't complain constantly and freak out over a high influx of customers in the drive-thru, then I suddenly had nothing to worry about, and lo and behold, my headaches vanished.
I also noticed that people seem to try and work too quickly, too much, and too often. People coming through in the mornings complained if they had to wait five minutes for their coffee. Why can't they see that, if they stopped trying to rush everywhere and would just sit still for five minutes and enjoy where they were NOW, they would be much better off?
I think mankind as a whole is starting to spiral out of control. Efficiency in our technology has vastly shortened our tolerance for having to wait to get something done or go somewhere we probably don't need to go to anyway. We're always trying to get tasks done ahead of time, always screaming at one another when something goes wrong, blaming everyone around us for the failure in the "flow" we've created around ourselves. The problem? This flow is cancerous; it isn't natural; it's nothing like the flow that Winnie the Pooh would show us, strolling through the forest, sitting by a brook and just taking in the scenery.
If we could just bring ourselves to stop and make small talk, and enjoy what's around us wherever we happen to be, I think we just might save ourselves. After all, I certainly have found that, even if my manager wants the times in drive-thru to be three minutes or less, it doesn't help to set yourself a restriction and the exhaust yourself trying to comply with that unsound goal.
Besides; I can make a good latte. If you have to wait four minutes and twenty six seconds for that double tall soy no-whip mocha, and smile once you take a sip, isn't the time spent watching the clouds roll by while you sit in your car listening to good music worth every second?
Find something good and enjoyable wherever you are. Take it easy. Smell the roses, if you so choose. It's a healthy way to live, when you're not living for the next deadline.
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