TALES FROM THE BOBBI LAMA

Remember the old Karate Kid movie with the wise Japanese master, Mr. Miyagie, and his protege Daniel (Ralph Macchio)? I know, it’s an oldie. Mr. Miyagie would always say to Daniel, “Patience, Grasshopper,” suggesting the young boy needed to relax and focus on their fundamental mission or purpose at hand. The reference to a grasshopper is a actually a term of endearment. It just means that young people tend to jump from one thing to the next, the same way grasshoppers hop from grass to grass. Wise Mr. Miyagie wanted the boy to slow down, be aware of the world around him, knowing Daniel had much to learn. Isn’t that such a simple but wise metaphor for all of us hustling through our busy days and not stopping to appreciate the bigger picture? Just to take a breath, slow down, and look around at how amazing the busy complexies of the world are that surround us, but also knowing we can step out and choose to be still at any time. Stopping for a brief frozen moment in a small personal space of presence and gratitude only takes a few seconds and can reset our minds and our hearts, literally. Taking in a few deep breaths and becoming aware of our senses at any one moment…allowing the feeling of centerness, and remembering our overall purpose can bring us the calm for which we ultimately search. So why don’t we?

I, for one, am trying harder to simply remember to do that. Our habits and routines are so automatic as is our focus on the next item in the day, or on the list. I sometimes feel like an ant like the ones in those plastic children’s ant farm viewers where you can see them in lines filing instinctively along long tunnels carrying their food. The thing is, even if we do have a repetive pattern every week, it doesn’t mean we can’t take a pause to regroup, appreciate, and even have gratitude for where we are along our journeys in the big picture. Short moments for the grasshopper in us to stop, set more mindful intentions, and smell the grasses.