A Moment of Resolution

Let's talk about New Year resolutions since this is the first day of 2021. Of course, I don't make such resolutions anymore: to resolve to do better is a continuous state of mind, not a an annual ritual to be observed and immediately forgotten. 

The essence of living is resolving. One is always transitioning from one state to another. What one sees at any point in time is just the dy/dx--the instantaneous gradient of the curve. Being aware of this moment to moment inflection requires a nimbleness of mind that can only come through years of meditative practice.

Take this moment: how does it feel? Is there tension and anxiety somewhere? There, you can sense a bit of the dynamics involved. One can sense fear, craving and desire in the mix too if one observes closer. Every moment is what it is because of the previous moment. It cannot be anything else. 

To sample each moment completely is to put oneself in the best possible position to tackle the next one. This is what living in present means. All you can do is to comprehend each moment in its totality, and then things will take care of themselves.

One has to open the aperture of the mind wide to be able to do so.  And be aware of those moments of illumination, when one sees clearly, albeit briefly, the larger scheme of things.

I look forward to 2021 to provide me with many more moments like that. And to be able to receive those moments, one has to maintain this open-aperture mode continuously.  And this is what we call 'mindfulness'. 

Being mindful is being aware of the gradient of each inflection point as one traverses the curve of life. Each moment of awareness is both a reading and a resolution.  So let's do this now and see where we are on the eve of 2022.