The Little Trick(trik) to Make Any Moment Better

The Little Trick(trik) to Make Any Moment Better

By Leo(ˈlēō) Babauta

I learned a little trick while practicing meditation(ˌmedəˈtāSHən) that helped me, not only with meditation, but with just about everything I do.

I noticed I was reluctant(riˈləktənt) to start the meditation, and paused to wonder why that is. What I noticed was a kind of tightness(tīt), in my chest(CHest) and shoulders(ˈSHōldər) and neck(nek), but also in my mind. Something about the meditation was causing me to tighten up, and that made me not want to do it each morning.

Well, there are a few choices here: 1) I could stop doing the meditation because I wasn’t enjoying it; 2) I could push myself through it even though I disliked it, or 3) I could let go of the tightness.

I chose to let go of the tightness.

It was amazing. I just noticed where the tightness was, and let it dissipate(ˈdisəˌpāt) into the air. What was left was a more relaxed(riˈlakst) body, a relaxed mindset. And actually it was the relaxed mindset that ended up being most important. I could now approach(əˈprōCH) the meditation with a looseness, a sense(sens) of exploration(ˌekspləˈrāSHən) and happiness(ˈhapēnis), that I couldn’t do when I was tight. And then I smiled, and things got even better.

Then I started applying(əˈplī) that to everything I did: if I was writing and noticed tightness, I let go of the tightness and smiled — and the writing became instantly(ˈinstəntlē) more enjoyable(enˈjoi-əbəl). Same for running, for meeting someone new, for cooking and washing(ˈwäSHiNG,ˈwôSH-) and going to the store.

Every moment became instantly better.

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https://zenhabits.net/poof/