The Experience of Gratitude and The Richest Person In The World – A Zen Parable of The Magnificent Strawberry
Nov 30, 2009 American Entitlement, Career Advice, Executive Coaching, Life Coaching and Career Coaching, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Sales Coaching, accountability
D.T. Suzuki (Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki, October 18, 1870 – July 12, 1966) was a Japanese author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that were instrumental in spreading interest in both Zen and Shin (and Far Eastern philosophy in general) to the West.
There is a Zen story he tells that captures the attitude of mindfulness with respect to living in the present and living in a state of gratitude.
There are several versions of this story. Here’s my version, edited in the way I like to tell it:
An honor student, frustrated with his life and with school, worried about what tomorrow may bring, approached his teacher asking for some guidance.
“The story goes,” says the teacher in response to his students request for help, “That a Buddhist Monk was walking through the mountains one day. Then, out of nowhere, a tiger appears, chasing the monk towards the edge of a cliff. The monk, in his quest to escape the tiger, runs to the edge of the cliff and climbs over the side, where he sees five other tigers 15 feet below him, waiting to eat him.
So the monk is just hanging there, holding on to a vine on the side of the cliff, waiting there for the little chance he has to escape or for his imminent demise. Then, as the monk hangs there, exploring his options, he turns to the left and sees a strawberry.
He smiles, “Wow what a magnificent strawberry!” he says to himself. So, he picks it and he eats it.
The student waited for his teacher to continue but it was clear that the teacher was done with the story. “That’s it? That is it the story? The monk is about to be eaten by tigers so he reaches out to pick and eat a strawberry?” the student exclaimed.
“What’s the point?” he added.
The teacher replied, “The lesson is to know and embrace the experience of being alive. You must be alive every second you are alive.”
The student responded, “But teacher, everyone is alive when they are alive.”
“No,” said the teacher. “It’s the experience of being alive in each moment, in each experience, good and bad. We must be alive every second we are alive and not simply exist and live out our days.”
The student, confused, questioned his teacher, asking, “But everyone alive is alive, aren’t they?” he insisted.
“No. Look at you now,” explained the teacher. “You are running around being chased by tigers, consumed with your thoughts of how it could be better, how you could be better if only things were different. Yet, you have shared with me over the past year several difficult situations, in addition to the circumstances that I have observed, how you were about to be eaten by tigers and how you have been saved in each situation. You can’t be alive if you are living in fear and if you’re living in fear you can’t see and experience life; the magnificence of your life that is right in front of you in each moment.”
The teacher asked, “Are you running around, grinning over the feeling of being the luckiest, most fortunate and appreciative person in the world because of what IS present in your life today, or are you consumed with fear, what you DON’T have in your life or what may possibly happen some time in the future?”
The student thought for a moment, looked up at his teacher, smiled, and continued on with his day……
So, what magnificent strawberries do you have in your life? Stop, look around. There they are. Right in front of you. Your health, your family, your children, your job, a hobby, a sport, your natural gifts or talents, even the people in your life. Pick one today. Relish every bite.
After all, what’s the purpose of eating a strawberry? To get to the end or to savor and enjoy every delicious bite?
During this holiday season, I hope you can experience the sense of gratitude for what is around you and a deeper appreciation for is in your life today. Balance being in the present moment today while managing your goals and dreams, without living in them, which then takes you into the future. Live every day with a sense of gratitude, and you’ll be the richest person in the world.
Wishing you and your family a healthy, appreciative and enjoyable holiday season.
Tags: accountability, appreciation, Executive Coaching, gratitude, life coaching, Sales Coaching, success
What Did You Learn Today? To Accelerate Growth, Embrace Learning as a Lifestyle
Nov 24, 2009 Career Advice, Executive Coaching, Life Coaching and Career Coaching, Live Responsibly: Life Tips, Great Living, Sales Coaching, accountability
Many of us consider learning the act of acquiring new information. The fact is, learning happens every moment of our lives. It isn’t just about assimilating knowledge but recognizing the lesson in every experience, even the value in every message that each person shares with us, growing from it and moving onto a more productive path.
While we draw into our life that which we need to learn, we often resist the lessons in front of us, since we may associate “learning the lesson” either as a result of doing something wrong (often from our childhood, for example, “If you touch a hot stove you’ll get burned”) or a task we have to finish. (“Do your homework or you’ll be punished.”)
As adults, this feeling fostered in our youth perpetuates, often blinding us to the valuable lessons and experiences that show up simply because we’ve been taught to resist them rather than embrace them.
When you are faced with a challenge or an upset, do you tackle it head on or have tendency to avoid them hoping they’ll ‘fix themselves’ or go away? When you’re handling a problem, do you address it in a way that permanently eliminates it or does it reappear? If you find similar challenges reappearing in your life, it’s a strong sign that you didn’t get the lesson the first time around or you missed out on a subtle, new opportunity to learn and grow or act upon a solution presented to you by someone who could have contributed to you.
Here are two universal laws worth adopting. The first one is, “We attract what we need to learn.” And in conjunction with this universal law, is another which makes this first one so challenging, and that is, “We resist what we need to learn the most.”
Consider every person you interact with in your life has some gift or knowledge worthy of sharing. Become more sensitive to the value in the message, without discounting the messenger. Allow each situation or challenge, even every person you come in contact with, to leave you with something valuable that can contribute to you in some way.
Here are just a few questions you can ask yourself to become more connected to the value in every experience. “What is the value I am leaving this conversation with?” “What can I learn from this?” “What am I resisting here?” “Why is this causing a reaction in me?” “What about this (situation, person) is making me feel uncomfortable?” What’s the A.F.G.O. here?” (A.F.G.O. = Another Fabulous Growth Opportunity!)
Although you need the right answers to keep up, to get ahead you need to ask yourself the right questions. Therefore, focus more on the question than on the answer. The question is the answer.
Anyone can have a great day. But lets face it, we don’t get tested on our good days. We get tested on our “bad days” or our tougher days. These are the days when the true essence of our character, convictions, beliefs and abilities are being challenged and have the opportunity to shine; our defining moment. These are the days when we can show the world what we’re made of. So, what are you going to do on a bad day? Embrace the test and make it a great day.
So, what can you learn today?
Tags: accountability, attitude, career coaching, Executive Coaching, life coaching, Sales Coaching
VIDEO: If Time Is Money, Then Your Routine Is Priceless. Are You Treating Them The Same?
Nov 23, 2009 Career Advice, Executive Coaching, Sales Coaching, Sales Management, Time Management Tips, Videos, accountability, training for managers
Do you manage your time as diligently as you manage your money? Do you have a consistent, weekly routine that you follow from the time you wake up in the morning up until the time you end your day, [whether that’s when you end your work day or go to sleep] that contains the specific, measurable activities and tasks you engage in that move you closer to your goals, while keeping your life in a happy balance?
If you’re in the majority of people I ask this question to, you’ll probably answer with a “No.” (I’m not surprised. After all, it was my clients who inspired me to write a book on time management in the first place.)
Here we are, on the surface believing that time is money, yet when it comes down to it, we’re not managing our time and ourselves the way we manage our money. We don’t give our time the same respect, diligence and planning it deserves the way we do money.
Watch this three minute video I did with homebusinessbrains.com and develop a deeper appreciation for the value of developing a highly structured routine. It’s time to upgrade your relationship with time. Click on the ‘read more’ link below to watch the video.
Tags: accountability, crm, diary, routine, schedule, self management, time, time management
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