In his six talks at Harvard entitled “The Unanswered Question,” Leonard Bernstein ended the final lecture (“The Poetry of the Earth”) by saying, “I’m no longer quite sure what the question is, but I do know that the answer is yes.”
On most days, our tendency is to scan our environment, react swiftly, and take immediate action based on our perceptions of what we believe we’ve witnessed and how we think we should manage it. These automatic responses often establish the repetitive patterns of our daily lives, resulting in a sense of restlessness, a craving for control, and a scarcity of peace and joy. We speed-read every moment, scanning for fouls, errors, differences of opinion, and anything that can help affirm our biases.
Individually and collectively, especially in our Western mindset, we believe our ‘no’ radar is flawless. Without practices that prompt us to step back and observe it objectively, this radar can take control of our minds and shape the narratives we tell ourselves.
What would it look like to cultivate a ‘yes’ radar? A radar that is catholic (universal) in its understanding that our neighbor is important, our Earth is important, and how we navigate and transform these connections is of utmost importance. What if we could learn to tap into the radar that always reports back with the memo: “Everything is happening for good”? How much beauty could blossom if our radars focused on the positive flow within and around our lives, rather than fixating on resistance that breeds unhelpful narratives?
When we allocate minimal or no time for genuine observation, moments of pause, and thoughtful reflection, we are signing up to eventually become a victim of our circumstances. Yet, we have a choice. When we choose to allow ourselves to fully taste the inexplicable nuances of the universe and explore the intricate spaces uniquely curated for us and our individual stories, we enhance our ability to discover the subtle clues guiding our divine and profound journeys.
Indeed, ‘yes’ becomes our reflex to all of the unanswered questions along our paths when we make the habits of tasting and seeing a part of our daily lives.
“Happiness at any given moment equals reality minus expectations.” Brad Stulberg
“The first rule of a happy life is low expectations. That’s one you can easily arrange. And if you have unrealistic expectations, you’re going to be miserable all your life.” Charlie Munger
“People often think that something “far off” will make them happy. That moving to a new place or getting a different job or meeting someone new will change how they feel. But happiness will always be withheld if you believe it is somewhere else. The secret is to find happiness in the people and places that are close to you. See the beauty in the things that are nearby.” James Clear
I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving!
Here’s a little bit that I crossed paths with this week….
Paradise Now by Tim Mackie, PhD. May we all trade our wounding for wonder and enter the mystical experience of Paradise that is always available, at hand, and among us.
Everything is Waiting for You via David Whyte. This never gets old and is one of my top ten favorite poems.
Warren Buffet’s net worth shows us a great snapshot of gradually, then suddenly….
Take, Thank, Break, Give via the Center for Action and Contemplation.
The River You Touch / Chris Dombrowski was our guest this week @ Good / True / & Beautiful Podcast. So very grateful for his friendship and work in the world.
Here are some interesting things I crossed paths with this week.
Sahil Bloom shared 6 graphs on who we spend our life with over time. This is worthy of reflection.
I’ve eased into autumn with Miles Davis. And like autumn, I don’t think one could ever fully comprehend what he was up to with his craft. Listen here.
There is no more reason to adhere to any idea of cool. via John Mayer.
Ashton.Gustafson 