The wisdom of Pima Chodron jumped off the page when I read the below excerpt. The past can be a guide post for us, our current quality of life is almost solely a direct result of past actions and ways of being. Observing and witnessing who we’re being in this present moment is a powerful entrée into creating a magical future.
“In the language of Buddhism, we use the word “karma.” This is a way of talking about the workings of cause and effect, action and reaction. Or, as some people like to put it, “What goes around comes around.” It’s said that if we want to learn about our past, we should look at our present circumstances, for they are the result of our past actions. If we want to learn about our future, we should look at what we’re doing now. For me, the latter is the more helpful aspect of karma to think about. There’s nothing we can do to change the past and the present, BUT, the future is unwritten. What we do right now will help create that future—which is not just our own future, but a future we share with many others. Every word we speak and every action we perform affects our future…but where do words and actions come from? They all start from our mind.” – Pema Chodron, Welcomong The Unwelcome
Taking small baby steps, consistently, can soften the resistance that we often have to change and creating a different life. Even changing something small, if practiced consistently, on a day to day basis, can radically shift our life!
James Clear from his book Atomic Habits shares this: “If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you, the problem is your system.”
“Bad habits repeat themselves again and again, not because you don’t want to change but because you have the wrong system for change.”
What small baby steps can you take? I invite you to be courageous, examine your life gently, and see if there are structures or systems that you can transform!