Hey there. If you’ve been reading these posts for some time (thank you!), you may or may not have noticed that I’ve been missing in action as of late. This is due to two new developments: 1) a new book in the works, and 2) a new child. On the topic of number 2, our first child was born just a few days ago, and I’ve quickly been made aware of a new training ground for presence and mindfulness. My daily routine, which had been a centerpiece of everyday sanity for years, has now been swiftly overhauled due to a prioritization of our baby’s needs and a grasping for sleep minutes whenever they can be found. And so, I’m given the chance either to wish for the return of my familiar routine, or let the routine go.

I’m given the opportunity to practice letting go of attachment and simultaneously resetting into an open and curious attention about Just This, just what is happening Right Now, which is all there really is. There is not actually the “loss of routine,” rather that is a thought about my present moment experience. When I come back to Just This, I can use whatever is in front of me, such as the serene face of a sleeping newborn child, but also a screaming crying face, and a leaking diaper, and a dirty dish, and oh yea, the yard work, and those emails I haven’t responded to, and the incorrect insurance bill, and this, and that, and that other thing, too.

In reality, there is only Just This, whatever is actually here right in front of me. When I feel the weight of all the things, all of the ten thousand things, to use a Buddhist phrase, I can become overwhelmed, frustrated, annoyed, and beyond, because each thing seems to add on top of the other. But when I can remember that none of these things are actually here, other than Just This, whatever This may be, I can physically empty the weight of thought and reopen to my present moment experience with freed up revitalized energy.

Like a system reboot, there is always the option to reset and return to full power for whatever comes next. It might be through the action of one deep breath - breathing out thoughts about what’s happening, and breathing in Just This. I can do this 1,000 times a day. There is only ever Just This.

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***On a final note, I’ve added an option at the end of these blog posts for you to make a small contribution if you’d like. Please only do so if you feel moved to, and know that your donation goes directly toward helping me continue to provide affordable individual guidance as well as create new content, such as this blog, in the name of increased well-being and reduced psychological suffering. One particular project this will help with is the book I’m currently working on. If you’re so inclined, your contribution would support these efforts and would be greatly appreciated (click the button below to donate). Thank you for being here!