Time

You cannot place your foot in the same river twice. Like a river, our lives change with each moment. You can choose in each moment whether to paddle with the current of your life or against it. Either choice is yours to make. Neither choice is the right one.

Responsibility

Taking personal responsibility with right action in one's relationships with the world and oneself is a constant challenge of practice.

I was recently approached by a neighbor with a problem he had created by shoddy work in his own house. It became obvious to me very quickly that he felt he could manipulate me into fixing the problem, even though it had nothing to do with me. The question this posed to my consciousness was this: Is it more responsible to ease my way out of this situation or is it more responsible to confront his disrespect and dishonesty in our relationship?

Since I have set a goal of patient discretion in my practice, I did neither in the moment. I gave him a referral to a tradesman who could solve the problem and left the situation for him to work out. Subsequently, I checked with the tradesman discreetly to make sure he had been contracted to fix the problem which was potentially very dangerous.

Many of us choose inaction in stressful or frightening situations. This is not practice. Inaction in the presence of conscious choices of right vs. wrong actions is irresponsible to oneself and one's world.

Learning to deliberate patiently despite anger, fear or frustration is a keystone of practice. This only comes, paradoxically, with practice itself. It takes practice to prime the pump of practice. Today is the best day to start this practice.

Choice

You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. This is the choice each person makes when embarking on conscious adulthood. Some make the choice passively. Some embrace the choice and firmly commit to one path or another.

When pressed, most people will admit quickly where they stand on this choice. One might say, "I chose to work in banking because I want to be rich. That's all that matters to me." Another may say, "I joined the army because I had no other option to get away from poverty." Yet another may say, "I chose to enter teaching because I want to help build a better future."

These choices in sum determine the future of the human species and the planet. Practice is a way to maintain one's commitment to chose being part of the solution and to bring about peace and happiness in the world.