Last week I gave an "ignite" talk at a ed-tech conference at M.I.T. Five years ago, I thought of myself as a writer. These days my job is closer to "thought leader." So I've been thinking about what kind of thoughts that I want to lead with. I'm nailing together a sort of code for life. In the spirit of five, I will keep this a five point list that helps keep me moving in the right direction. So far it is this:
1. Delight in calm
Again and again I come back to a theory I heard about on the NPR show Invisibilia, that we really only have two emotions: calm and agitation. All of our "feelings" are how we interpret this data and over time those interpretations become the way we see the world. I can't say if this is true, but this very much appeals to me as a computational thinker, this idea that our feelings are essentially an endless improvisation on binary code, with the heart as a genius compiler. The first goal of meditation is to get us back to the binary, to notice the calm again and decompose the endless dance of agitation to its tiniest bits. The next goal is to build a new emotional framework that will protect and nurture this interplay. Delighting in calm means just that. Take as many minutes as you need in one chunk, or throughout the day, to observe that calm. Then take the next heartbeat to be happy about it. Not over excited. And not overattached. More like joyful tenderness you might feel towards a newborn baby who has found something to laugh about in the dark. More like the joy you feel on from your best friend, who you would never then force to move in with you. The ultimate goal of meditation is how to make that calm available to others in such a way that they cannot help but connect with its profound power. According to this theory, compassion becomes the technology of feeling the agitation of others and doing what can be done to de-iterating it so that they can find their own peace. Enlightenment, I think, is the moment this compassion "technology" becomes intuitive. Or perhaps, the moment that we see that it always was and still is.
2. Walk, Run, Sit, Stand
The older I get, the harder this one is to keep, but the more essential it becomes Carving out time to do what needs to be done to keep the sap flowing is a tough one. But today I've been standing and again and I am amazed how powerful the flow of energy. I think a life doing all these things as regularly and routinely as you can is the best way we can to express our appreciation for this wonderful body we were born with. Everyday we don't consciously connect to the physical vitality that is our birthright feels a day wasted. The effort is always worth it. So if I can't find the motivation to do this for myself, maybe I can find the urgency of doing it for others. I dedicate all of these hours of exercise to the well being of everyone.
I have three more that I will discuss in future posts. So far:
3. Share something
4. Learn something
5. Believe in patience
