The Beauty of
Being Ordinary
(Becoming Extra-Ordinary through Ordinariness)
by Ankur
When I first saw the Osho Zen Tarot card for ‘Ordinariness’ (below) I was struck by its simplicity, gentleness and harmony. At that time being ‘Ordinary’ was something I was desperate to avoid by rushing around cramming as much into my life as possible, in the belief that acting like this would surely mean more fulfillment and extra happiness in my life. I had thought that being ordinary meant being boring and I wanted to be ‘extra-ordinary’ (or at least not ordinary) and so doing as many things as I could seemed to make perfect sense.
I had no concept of there being a ‘deeper quality’ to my life. I was focused on doing more, because surely more must mean better. And for the most part I did enjoy how I spent my time, plus there was a mental satisfaction of simply doing lots of things. I didn’t realise it at the time but all of this was an attempt to satisfy my ego. I wanted to do things that made me feel special – not just lots of ordinary stuff but special things… I wanted to be important and different.
Things I didn’t want to do like washing-up, cleaning and gardening were avoided, unless absolutely essential, because I found them boring, inconvenient and unfulfilling. And where possible I got someone else to do them for me. I wanted to do things that made me feel special, so I could be recognised for my achievements and get the attention and praise I surely deserved. Of course, each bit of approval didn’t last, I needed a constant supply. I was addicted to the opinions and approval of others because that was what I found fulfilling - I was truly stuck in my ego, and little did I realise I was truly missing the point!
Then all of a sudden I saw ‘ordinary’ in a different way. I started to notice the beauty in nature – and realised that the trees and flowers I often ignored as being ordinary, could never be any other than unique. They were all different, and ever changing - never mundane or boring. I started to learn about the flowers, trees and wild animals I saw, not from books, but by noticing how they changed from day to day, month to month and year to year. This didn’t give me intellectual knowledge, I had no idea what most of their names were, but I took the time to get to know them as unique individuals with looks, personalities and quirks as varied as any group of humans. I started to feel some kind of connection with them, a feeling that they were like friends who I cared for, and they became part of my life and I felt I became part of theirs.
So I started to connect with the ‘Ordinariness’ in nature. But there is a still a leap between connecting with nature and with the more boring parts of my life.
It took me a while, but I started to connect with mundane tasks too. These tasks were often part of a routine to get me through the things I didn’t like doing as quickly as possible. But I started to notice that even the tasks within a routine were unique. Every time I did them they were different and my experience was never exactly the same. Soon I began to notice that everything I did was unique, even if I had done it 1,000 times before; every time it was slightly different and the more I did, the more I noticed the differences. I felt a certain freedom to allow myself to become fully engaged with each task and focusing on the differences within each really helped.
Then I noticed I had begun to FEEL differently about doing these unique routine tasks. There was a sense of satisfaction there, a sense of fulfillment, not just at having completed them, but from somewhere hidden deep within their very doing.
My approach changed from forcing myself to do these tasks, getting them over quickly with as little pain as possible, to being totally engaged in the quality of what I am doing. These are simple tasks, so even though little thought is needed, total attention is required else random thoughts take over and the inner quality is lost. From that place I am able to give my total presence and attention and focus on the task as if it was the most important thing I had ever done.
It now takes me a little (and sometimes a lot) longer, but there is a new quality there. This is not just about being fulfilled by the end result, but because my very being is fully present and it is that which brings enormous fulfillment.
But before you ask me round to clean your abode, I am not saying that I would prefer to do the cleaning than walk in the forest. I still find it easier to engage fully with nature than dirty dishes, but the quality of my life has shifted and I now realise everything can be fulfilling.
So allow yourself to participate fully in all things and bring your total presence and attention to each task as if it is the most important thing you will do today. Do not be hasty to avoid the ordinary, we have been tricked by our minds into blanking it out simply because it is familiar. Spend a little more time allowing yourself to connect with its uniqueness, and feel the Inner Quality of what you are doing. Allow yourself to see the beauty in everything, and the world becomes an incredible place once again – just as it was when you were a child exploring for the first time. How often as adults do we truly see something as if for the first time – we have lost the magic and excitement of that connection. Reclaim it now!
We have become efficient machines by allowing our minds and our routines to dominate us. We live like robots with life becoming a series of tasks to be completed, rather than a series of moments to connect and enjoy, letting go of our thoughts and just experiencing what a beautiful place the world is…
What are you rushing through your life for – the quality of your life is here right now in every moment. Just connect – Totally.
And that is now what Ordinariness means to me – a magical sense of Being and Fulfillment from allowing myself to be totally engaged in what is around me all of the time. I realise that fulfillment does not always lie in trying something new, pushing myself further or impressing someone. It is freely available in every moment in the everyday things I once mistook for being mundane. That was, before I realised that the 'Ordinary' really is unique and extra-ordinary.
Best Wishes for Your Inner Journey
Love
Ankur
For details of all events see: www.SchoolofAwareness.co.uk
|
