I was speaking to a friend over bubble tea on Friday, and started trying to explain the unexpected side-effect of practicing “sufficiency meditation”1 — that is, generating a feeling of satisfaction (with the moment, life, career, hobbies, physical fitness, abilities, bank balance and/or whatever) and then “sitting with” that feeling, putting enough energy into it to keep the feeling “on”, and carefully but strongly steering thoughts away from doubts and disatisfaction.
We made it. It’s probably the same feeling every year, but it certainly feels like this one has been a tough slog. From work (what the hell??) to learning how to help Jules with dyslexia, there’s been a steep learning curve for all of us this year.
Life keeps happening1… We’ve moved into a new place in Sydney: a small, new-build townhouse with undercover parking (rare in Sydney!). The place is so close to Jules’ school that his grandmother (who now lives with us) can walk him there each morning; it’s also close to a bouldering gym and a microbrewery, so I’m pretty much covered however I want to spend my time.
Maybe I’m getting older. I mean, OF COURSE that is OBJECTIVELY true, of all of us. Even if time is multidimensional, we seem to be falling this way at near-light speed — with no clear way to steer, let alone slow down.
Freedom! Fresh-air! Family! Freezing (by the beach)! Sitting in the Blue Bird café (inside the same building that has delicious Vietnamese food by Miss Chu) drinking a decent (but slightly off somehow — not burnt, so maybe just cheap/crappy coffee beans?