Goenkaji says that craving and aversion are two sides of the same coin, as well as emotions and sensations being two sides of the same coin. My practice of choosing beyond the negative, which over time morphs into focusing on the positive, is teaching me that Positive and Negative can be looked at the same way — as two sides of the same coin. It’s up to us which side we choose to look at. Choice Empowers!
Goenkaji says that Vipassana teaches us to look at a glass as both half-empty and half-full, because that’s the actual truth. It’s not just half-empty. It’s not just half-full. It’s both! I see a lot of value in this perspective. For growth, one must accurately assess where they are; acknowledge strengths to draw from and identify weaknesses to work on.
Most people’s default is to look at the weakness(es) and feel deflated. For me personally, I still have that gut reaction of “aaargh, not again!” with a tired sigh. The reason: my mind thinks about all the work that will go into doing and how much effort that will be, with probably pain and frustration along the way, and the old-patterns that have built a home in me screaming for me to STOP.
Fighting takes a lot of energy, leaving very little, if any, for actual work. Focusing on a vision is different. It puts one’s energies into going towards something vs. running away from something else (i.e. fighting).
Focusing on the Positive is an on-going practice. As practice goes, it becomes easier and easier over time. And as growth goes, more and more challenging things show up because, with practice, we become capable of handling more challenges.
A lot of exciting changes are taking place in my life right now. From being a new contributor on this blog, to moving out of my parents home, to starting a new job in a few weeks. So many changes at the same time! All this is super exciting to me! I am aware of the learning curve involved here — being more actively aware of my thoughts and ideas (for the blog), cooking on my own for a change (no mom-cooked meals), and learning a lot of new things about a new position at a new company. The old me would not have allowed so many new things at the same time. It would have thought long and hard for just one of the above-mentioned changes. The new me says, “bring it on! I got it!” …because, while being aware of challenges involved, the new me is also focused on the growth that this will yield. The new me is focused on making this half-empty glass, full …and then moving onto another glass to start filling with Positivity and Growth.
:)
Needless to say, I wouldn’t be here without Vipassana.
