From an article by Alison Bonds Shapiro in Psychology Today. The author credits these instructions to her teacher Frank Ostaseski. I too remember Frank’s words while training in end-of-life care under his tutelage. I’m excerpting Shapiro’s article because Welcome Everything aligns very nicely with There is Nothing I Dislike, the koan that’s been the subject of my previous posts.
Welcome Everything. Push Away Nothing. That might sound odd at first. Why would we “welcome” something unpleasant? The word “welcome” confronts us, asking us to look without judgment and criticism, to invite ourselves to be open to whatever comes, to simply pay attention.
This is not about seeking difficulty. Before my brain injury I was not in the least interested in being unable to dress myself. It’s not something I sought. But once I was injured I had a choice, I could “welcome” the assistance of the people who helped me dress or I could judge my inability to dress and the people helping me and thus push away the information it brought. But what would I have learned about the way to put clothes on post injury if I had?
The more I paid attention, without pushing away or judging what was happening, the more I learned about how my body moved and what I could do to help myself. The more I paid attention the more my brain began to rewire the movements necessary to continue to help myself. It really is that fundamental. Attention is the key.
Paying attention is ultimately an act of loving kindness towards ourselves.
I’m a big fan of Pema Chodron. One of her recent broadcast emails was as follows: January 7, 2015 ALWAYS MAINTAIN A JOYFUL MIND
Constantly apply cheerfulness, if for no other reason than because you are on this spiritual path. Have a sense of gratitude to everything, even difficult emotions, because of their potential to wake you up.