Be, Do, Have

First I feel the need to explain the lull in posting to this blog. Simply put, distractions. Having been told by a therapist several years ago that I display many signs of an adult with ADD, distractions tend to be fairly common for me. Not the hyperactive, swinging from the rafters kind of ADD; just the space-cadet variety that can delve into several projects at once and forget to complete any of them. Not saying that I agree with this diagnosis, but I will admit I am one of those people who is usually reading 4 different books all at the same time and doesn't always finish even one of them. My motto has always been: too many books, not enough time. Needless to say, college was a bit challenging to say the least. With the "dog and pony show" of Open House behind me I now have a little bit of time to devote to this project before report cards and end of the school year festivities take over my waking hours.
Another reason for the lull in posting is that I haven't been to another training since Mother's Day at Camp Pendleton. So I am working on putting together a post that will include pictures but haven't yet coordinated the logistics of the photo shoot. Too busy reading those four books I suppose. And then of course, there's the blissful fact that my life is starting to resemble something like a Hallmark Card commercial, but that is for another blog (or maybe even a book) someday. So in the meantime I will ramble on about other things that interest me.

Be, Do, Have. The title of this post is something I heard along the way several years ago and have tried to keep in spirit as I am on this journey of life. What does it mean? Let me try to explain by saying what it does NOT mean.

In our fast-paced world we tend to live the opposite: Have, Do, Be. Meaning our focus is on what we have or can acquire. Things like big houses, expensive cars, or whatever material items give you the illusion of being happy. We have that tape playing in our head that tells us that we are what we have. Streams of consciousness such as "If I HAVE the big house then what I can DO with it is entertain and have great dinner parties and then what I will BE is happy and admired by all of my friends." Another example that might resonate with others can take on the form of a car. If I have the BMW I will impress all the neighbors and then I will be happy and important.
What if you were to make a shift and reverse that thinking? What would it look like? Maybe something like this.
BE, DO, HAVE. What will you be? Will you be peaceful or confrontational? Will you be kind or hurtful? Respectful or judgemental? Truthful or dishonest? What will you do with your virtue? Will you take care of a sick or elderly family member? Or maybe something as simple as letting that girl in the gutless hybrid be in front of you on the tollroad without raising your blood pressure flashing finger language at her. Trust me, I've never been flipped-off so many times since buying my little golf cart they passed off as a car.

How can we make this shift happen? Find some way to quiet that voice inside your head so that it will stop talking and just listen for a change. I heard someone say once that the difference between prayer and meditation is that prayer is when you talk to god and meditation is when you listen. Whether you believe in god or not doesn't matter. I'm sure most of us realize the value of just listening. So take the time to find a way to listen to your inner wisdom by connecting your mind, body, and breath. Running, walking, gardening, and of course doing yoga are great ways to stop the mind chatter so that you can just listen.
Give it a try. Lace up those tennies or roll out that mat and focus on only your breath as you move through whatever your body is doing. See what happens. Feel what you will become. Let it guide you into doing what feels right and natural. And enjoy the pure joy of what you will have. Just relax and breath and enjoy the experience.....