As long as I have been online, I have been normalizing mindfulness, and trying to remove any and all unusualness, religiosity, sense of difficulty, or inaccessibility.
MINDFULNESS is a state of being, and way of being, that is owned by no one, while also being owned by everyone.
It's deeply bothersome that such a PRIMAL and ORIGINAL way of being, is mostly perceived as Buddhist, Eastern or some other brand, ritual or tradition.
It's deeply bothersome that an INNER art, seems to require so much outer instruction. Certification. Regulation.
But does it really??
People hold a lot unnecessary confusion about meditating "right," or "not being good at" mindfulness. I think this comes from the long-time veneration of OUTER "authorities" -- both dead and alive. Over time, it amasses into lots of learned helplessness and self-doubt about one's own inner landscape.
I do reject the idea that you need highly precise instruction on how to know your own mind. On how to become the master of your own internal state.
By describing meditative states that arise from mundane activity, I am demonstrating mindfulness and internal authority. And you are encouraged and empowered to do similarly, right away.
There is plenty of "Follow my lead" guidance out there for those who want to follow. But not nearly as much material that purely LEADS YOU TO YOU, now.
That is what I've been called to do, have been doing all along, and will continue to do.
"As above, so below" means "What is done in your car or kitchen, HAS MIRRORED IMPACT BEYOND YOUR CAR OR KITCHEN."
So, this is how my multi-dimensional mopping unfolded...
If you haven't yet listened to "Mopping Can Lead To Elaborate Gratitude," please do. It's the foundation for this experience.
Also, keep in mind that metaphor is the language of in-between, liminal spaces. Fluency in metaphor frees your brain.
Okay, so I traded the incense stick, for a mop.
In the beginning, the mop was an eraser.
Later, it became a pen. You'll see :-)
But first, I prepared the bucket with hot water, bleach, and palo santo essential oil.
The floor was my heart.
I washed it with extreme care and thoughtfulness.
I erased any scripts that were dead or untrue.
I wrote new scripts that are alive, beautiful and true.
I deepened my commitment to my path, and became even more inhospitable to distraction or procrastination. This is a time of war, and I am wide awake and watchful.
One surprising thing that happened is... every previous time I can remember fusing mopping with fruitful mind-games, I've always erased Cinderella programming, and rewritten princess programming. My rationale and understanding at the time was that I was raising my sense of worth, and up-leveling my consciousness somehow...
But this time, the BEAUTY OF CINDER is what was revealed to me. I had overlooked and under-appreciated ASH... which is what cinder is...
Cinder, the earth-stuff that covered the cheeks of Cinderella, was the signature of her hard labor... scrubbing inside chimney walls.
As an independent creative, I often feel like Cinderella... workin' hard, missin' parties.
But during this mopping, I was reminded of how happy I've been in flip-flops the past 5.5 years. Glass slippers sound very uncomfortable! And tanks and sundresses are what I live in. I don't want to go where gowns are required, or any formality, for that matter!
I am a different kind of princess, who wants soil and sun, over synthetics or a simulated smart city.
Make peace with cinder.
