Believe

Elena mentioned Preya and Shreya in today's blast. I couldn't help but smile as I thought of her talking about these concepts last year. She was giggling away about the illiteration and the qualities of each in the same giggle.

We are so conditioned to find pleasure in everything we do. That instant gratification that actually causes suffering.

I like to shop. I would say that I have used shopping to squelch a broken heart, a big loss, or just a fowl mood. It felt great in the moment. All the colors, sounds, smells (love perfumes!)... And then, I would get the bill. Oh goodness. Now what have I done? Where did the pleasure go? How lasting is this pain?

I have also found many a night with friends downing tequilla! Yowza! Talk about pleasure. Lots of laughs, numbness, good times... but, oh, the lasting pain and suffering the next day.

And, now, parenting. Even harder to know what is the Preya and what is the Shreya. Time outs, hard lines, enforcement. Picking the battles. Knowing how to say "no" and mean it and enforce it. Tough stuff.

And, then, finding time to exercise, choosing the right foods, taking time (seemingly selfishly) for myself.

The only thing I can do is make one choice at a time. Plant one seed at a time. That is the only thing to do. Otherwise, life would start to become overwhelming. But, trying not judge all of my actions and who I am is the key. Sometimes, our best traits become our worst traits and our worst traits become our best. (Taken from Amy Cook of the Yoga Lounge:)) So, there really is no "good" or "bad" parts to us. We are just us. We are who we should be. It is in the forgetting of That when we get pulled off center and seek the immediate gratification of food, drink, shopping, company, busy-ness: the Preya, that makes us suffer.

Ha, now just putting it into action... The tough part.--Charry