3 Practices For Engaging with Uncertainty And Difficult Times
- Insights Into Practices
- What I’m Cooking: Steamed Kale
- 3-Month Practice Period, Beginning January 8th
A few of my favorite Homerisms:
“Lisa, I want to share something with you: The three little sentences that will get you through life: 1) Cover for me. 2) Oh, good idea. 3) It was like that when I got here.
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that’s even remotely true!
Lisa, if you don’t like your job, you don’t go on strike. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That’s the American way.
I think Smithers picked me because of my motivational skills. Everyone says they have to work a lot harder when I’m around.”
I appreciate Homer’s unique perspective on the world. Despite his best efforts, nothing ever quite goes right for him. His approach 1) makes me smile (a little); and 2) provides a bit of comic relief; some important qualities, whether in thinking about our upcoming election or the various immense challenges in our world. Some perspective can be important in facing the challenges in our personal lives — too much to do and not enough time, as well as not enough resources, clarity, meaning, and connection.
I find that a touch of humor and a somewhat alternative perspective can help shift my mindset from a sense of lack to a sense of possibility. You’ve probably noticed that the future is really hard to predict. It is easy to catastrophize, doubt, and rant. (A good rant now and then can be useful, as in Homer’s — Why Does Everything Have To Be So Hard!?)
For perspective in difficult times, in addition to the wisdom of Homer Simpson, I find myself returning to the core lessons from Erik Larson’s book The Splendid and the Vile. I appreciate the way he describes Winston Churchill’s philosophy in approaching the most challenging and uncertain times of World War II, while London was being firebombed by German airplanes. His core approach is:
- No Sugar coating – No sugar coating means not turning away from how bad things are. (They are bad!) Disturbing things are happening. A few minutes of reading the newspaper any morning can be quite alarming.
- Cautious Optimism – There are lots of positive, wonderful, amazing things happening as well. So much to be cautiously optimistic about. The combination of no sugar coating and cautious optimism is a potent mix.
- Purpose and Meaning – We humans are creatures of purpose, meaning, and story. During difficult times, it can help to return to the questions of “why” and “what really matters.?I’m often quoting Shunryu Suzuki who said that “The purpose of our lives is to cross the shore from confusion to clarity. The secret is that we cross this shore with every breath.”
(Fall Leaves, Missoula, Montana)
To practice:
– No sugar coating – being curious about the truth.
– Cautious Optimism – seeing what’s possible?
– Purpose and Meaning – returning to the “why” and asking “what’s most important?”
Try combining these practices with a bit of Homer Simpson’s humor. For example:
“Weasling out of things is important; it’s what separates us from the animals…except the weasel.”
What I’m Cooking: Steamed Kale
Many years ago I was hosting an event in my home and one of the dishes I was making was a large pot of steamed kale. A friend came to look and taste and inquired “Marc, is that your signature dish?” Without hesitating, I responded “Yes.” I don’t really have a signature dish, but I do love to cook, and this is one of my super easy quick favorites.
· One bunch of kale. Strip the leaves from the stems, and wash.
· Steam for about five minutes (or to whatever timing works best for you.)
· Season with olive oil, salt, and nutritional yeast.
I love the simplicity of cooking and eating a fresh vegetable. (And, it’s really yummy.)
(More Fall Leaves, Missoula, Montana)
Appreciating Your Life: A 3-Month Zen Practice Period
January 8th – April 2nd, 2025
Online
A 3-month Practice Period is a great way to begin or deepen your mindfulness and meditation practice and cultivate ways for integrating mindfulness practice with your work and all parts of your life.
Online meetings are Wednesday from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. PT. We will begin each session with 30 minutes of lightly guided meditation, followed by a short talk, as well as small group and large group discussions.
The theme for the Practice Period is Appreciating Your Life. This is the underlying theme of meditation practice and Zen practice – seeing and feeling everything, the good, bad, ugly, beautiful – as gift and an opportunity to learn, grow, and engage. It’s the practice of feeling deeply, opening our hearts and minds, with a mindset of appreciation, and of being of benefit, through our ability to see more clearly, to accept what is, and work effectively with change and for change.
Our focus will be on how Zen practice can be integrated into daily life to help us:
– cultivate greater wellbeing
– navigate change and challenges
– discover more meaning and purpose in work and relationship
Our primary reading for the practice period is Branching Streams Flow In The Darkness, Zen Talks on a poem called the Sandokai, or the Harmony of Difference and Equality. This is an excellent primer on the non-dual teachings in Zen practice and how to apply them to your wellbeing, relationships, work, and social and environmental responsibility.
Being part of a community that meets weekly is a powerful way to find more clarity and connection as we begin a New Year. Each week we will meditate together for 30 minutes. Then, I’ll give a short talk, unpacking ideas and practices from Branching Stream Flow In The Darkness. We will have a variety of small group and large group discussions, to practice and deepen the tools and themes discussed. Each week you will leave with an actionable practice and a suggested reading.
Weekly sessions will be recorded and made available in case you miss any sessions or want to revisit them.
Warmest wishes,
Marc
