22 Comments
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Steven Hick's avatar

Thank you for this wonderful post. I find I need to be reminded of this again and again. I like to tell the story about the meditation student who is on a retreat where everyone stayed in huts out in the wilderness. He told the teacher he couldn’t meditate because he could hear the other students Moving about in their huts. So they moved him way out in the woods all by himself by a beautiful stream. When the teacher returned to check on him, she found the student ankle deep in the stream, moving rocks. When asked what he was doing, he replied I’m trying to make the sound of the stream better so that it doesn’t disturb my meditation.

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

That's too funny, Steven. So relatable to my experience way back when. As you know, in the beginning our mind is such a mess that the less stimulus the easier it is to cultivate steady attention. I appreciate your comment.

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Darcy Dudeck's avatar

This is so well written and full of wonderful reminders. Thank you 🙏

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

Feels good to hear. I appreciate your kindness, Darcy.

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Here I Am Now's avatar

Wonderful and insightful and so needed thank you 🙏

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Here I Am Now's avatar

Never stop writing! 🙏💙

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

I'll do my very best.

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

So appreciate you letting me know. Encourages me to keep writing.

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Jennifer Trainor's avatar

Your posts are wonderful. Thank you!

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

It's satisfying to hear, Jennifer. I want my posts to be helpful and put a lot of time, thought and energy into them.

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Jennifer Trainor's avatar

It shows, Ryan, thank you!

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

🙏🏻💛

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Heather Hoskison's avatar

I couldn't pass this one up, as I am considering moving house, again. I have certainly been here long enough to learn to be ok with the circumstances, however sometimes making a move is necessary. Also a change of scenery and complete disruption of life helps to change ones perspective. I can appreciate the practice of catching oneself in the moment and identifying the feeling. My body gets anxious sometimes whens its doing something out of the norm. The only way to calm myself is to focus on breathing or use EFT tapping. Then talk to myself like calming a child. All things I've learned in the last few years.

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

I agree that sometimes the best thing is to change the material, or in this case, move. Wishing you the very best with yours.

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Susan Hunt's avatar

Absorbing this. Thank you.

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

Susan, I hope steadying and witnessing are as helpful for you as they have been for me.

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Jimmy Warden's avatar

Once we see things as they are, we can start to change how we relate to them.

But it takes presence, patience, and perseverance.

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

And that turns out to be a huge deal.

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Mike Gingerich's avatar

“Staying with yourself”… seems so simple and yet is so challenging.

Great words to reflect on here! Thanks.

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

You know from experience, Mike. After about the fifth red light in a row today, I had a one-second burst of frustration. I don't drive much these days, so I had to remind myself, "This is driving."

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daisy's avatar

I loved reading this, so many wonderful reminders and I really enjoyed your analogies. Thank you so much for sharing 💫

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Ryan Delaney's avatar

Feels so good to hear, Daisy. I appreciate you taking the time to read and share this.

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