All Buddhist and meditative practices can be reduced to one simple sentence: Everything Changes.
Similar to the second law of thermal dynamics, the law of entropy, you can always expect anything to change. So why not be that change for a better life?
There have been times in my life where I desperately needed to change.
At one point in my life, I was suddenly homeless, without my partner for several years and lost on where to take my life.
At another point in my life, I was burned out and resentful of my career choices.
More recently, I lost my mother and was desperately lost in grief.
Do you know what all these moments in my life called for? I had to Begin Again.
In meditation, the “Beginners Mind” refers to the idea that we never really become meditation masters. We are constantly distracted and must try to Begin Again.
You know how it feels to be distracted by thoughts, emotions, or events in life. These distractions steal time and opportunity from what we want to do.
Have you ever played Mario? Think about the extra lives you spend when you fail the map. The harder the map, the more lives you’ll spend.
The main difference and blessing is that there are no limits to how many times you can Begin Again in your life.
When life gets hard, we can often get stuck in the suck. We believe that our circumstances and past are set in stone. This is not true; you can Begin Again right now.
To Begin Again does not necessarily mean to be in desperate moments of life. We can Begin Again when a day turns bad.
Someone cuts you off in the queue. Begin Again.
Bad argument? Begin Again.
Didn’t you get to do the things you wanted on your to-do? Begin Again.
On an average day, I can begin again several times. Usually, the more difficult the day, the more I have to Begin Again.
Here is how I like to do it:
First, I Outcalm myself. Usually, by taking a Bullet Time Breath.
Secondly, I focus on the smallest thing I can do right now to get back on track.
Finally, I Begin Again, as if nothing from my past would prevent me from acting.
So, are you ready to Begin Again?