Unraveling My Zen

I’m a big believer in Zen in the western world way of being it, living it, finding balance. As in:

“An approach to an activity, skill, or subject that emphasizes simplicity and intuition rather than conventional thinking or fixation on goals.”

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Where are you Zen?

After all, our intuitions have guided us since we’ve walked the Earth. We sometimes get caught up in things that seem to squelch it. More than not, we react to external stimuli and not always in a positive manner. More like a knee-jerk response, which is usually never the best way.

I was going to write a post about finding Zen (and still want to do) but I thought it might be best to figure out what’s messing up or messing with my Zen. Unravel it as in:

“To clarify the elements of (something mysterious or baffling).”

Zen Zappers

What clutters up my chakras? Messes with my mojo? Zaps my Zen?

Below are a few I’ve noticed over the past few weeks.

• Tailgaters (not to be confused with football or other sports where people do this in parking lots with food). Can someone explain why people do this? If one is riding another one’s bumper in traffic, what does this action accomplish? Does it get the tailgater to his/her destination quicker? Does it make the tailgater feel powerful? This practice seems irrational; it doesn’t get one there quicker, it’s dangerous and it makes the tailgater-ee, (at least this one) anxious, angry and tense. How does this benefit either party?

Note: Vehicles can range in weight between 4300 pounds to over 5400 pounds; therefore the natural laws of physics that affect stationery and moving objects – gravity, Inertia, momentum, kinetic and potential energy, friction, and centrifugal force—should be considered.

• 

  If it looks like this, one should probably turn their headlights on.

  Non-headlighters (Ex: Driving in the rain, fog, or any and all inclement weather without headlights.) I think one of the first things I learned about driving was turning your headlights on during gray or inclement weather so that other drivers could see you. The fact that the non-headlighter can see shouldn’t be the only factor when making a decision about driving a several-thousand pound piece of metal through inclement weather. One must also note the other several-thousand pound pieces of metal that are in front of, behind, beside and possibly tailgating.

*Prior note should also apply to non-headlighers.

• Device Droids. People who talk on mobile phones, listen to music on devices, tap out texts, and ignore the person in front of them while also taking up the time of others behind them in line. I watched a Device Droid continually talk on her phone without ever once acknowledging the person who was giving her a service; in this case, ringing up her groceries and bagging them. She snapped her finger at him when she noticed he was putting something in a bag and she wanted it in another bag. Snapped her fingers and then pointed at another bag, without ever looking at him.

What about the operation for that disease she had? Is so and so still sleeping with his trainer?
Category for Million Dollar Pyramid show: Things one might say on a mobile phone in a public place.

• Yelling Yappers. This falls into the above Device Droid category but I feel it should be referenced as its own category. People who talk about their personal lives, surgeries, hookups, and any and all other highly personal thing(s), loudly in stores, bathrooms, parks and/or any other public place.

Note: When one is on a device, one should be aware of others’ in terms of how their actions are affecting others. This applies to Device Droids, Yelling Yappers, and while we’re at it, Tailgaters and Non-Headlighters since I’ve seen them texting while operating thousand-pound pieces of metal.

• Mean people. No further explanation needed.

Sweating and Not Sweating the Small Stuff

I have the book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. When I feel as if I’m blocked or stressed from dealing with the above, I’ll try to glean some clarity from ruffling its pages and then stopping and pointing at a passage. Usually it will calm me and I’ll get the message I need.

I get how we all probably zap each other’s Zen unintentionally from time to time. I do. We may have something on our minds, we’re going through a stressful situation and we’re not aware of how what we’re doing may be affecting others. I get it.

Maybe we should be more aware (there’s that Zen thing) of how what we’re doing could be adversely affecting someone else. Or maybe I’m the one that needs to ignore these Zen zappers and chalk it up to them being my “small stuff” that gets under my skin.

I’m taking a deep breath now and letting it go. There, now I’m ready to let in my Zen and explore what that is and what it means to me. Namaste, y’all.

Chakras Cleared!

What zaps your Zen?