My sister is a wise woman. I think perhaps she always has been. As a kid I think she was one of those “old souls,” who could gain insights through noticing things that the rest of us lost in youthful self-absorption. Whatever the case, I have learned some pretty profound things from her observations of life. Many people with whom I have worked know the gnat story, which I always attribute to my sis. For those of you who haven’t heard it, it is much more than a story. It is a practice for refusing the folly of our self-created, ego-centric preoccupations so we can stay true to our paths.
Here’s how it goes . . .
I grew up in steamy, buggy, hot-as-Hades (as my mom would exclaim) southern Florida. Insects of every type –- vicious mosquitoes, creepy cockroaches (that life-long Floridians solicitously call “Palmettos Bugs”) and annoying gnats -- were simply a part of the landscape. I can recall days when, at the end of a game of sandlot baseball, gnats swarmed thick around our sweaty heads and sticky necks. The gnats would rarely light and didn’t bite. But their very presence easily could drive us to the point of distraction.
Sitting one summer eve with our knobby little backs pressed against the brick wall that led to our front door, my sister observed to me that she could make the gnats disappear. I gave her a sideways glance. This magic fascinated me! How, I questioned, could she do that? Close your eyes, she urged. Expecting a miracle, I followed my older sister’s instruction. And immediately, the gnats were gone!
My sister had figured out that some little things simply weren’t worth the aggravation with which we chose to empower them. At different times in my life, I have summoned my sister’s magic in this regard, closing my eyes to the gnats of my own invention. These “gnats” are the bothers that neither light nor bite, but swirl out there just beyond my influence. If you are anything like me, you keep a jar of them ready to open at any time. They are the “what ifs,” the “can’t helps” and the “he or she thinks” that we conjure in our heads. Though quite small and insignificant, when we allow them to distract and aggravate they can derail us from our goals.
Or we can work a little magic, deny them space and let them go.
Snowman Training Notes: Un-programmed break in the training plan today. I shifted to a kettle bell workout today. Experimenting with my pal’s TRX this weekend reminded me of the importance of core – and more core. Mixing it up was good for my body and my head.
Thought for the day: "The possession of anything begins in the mind." ~ Bruce Lee
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