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Every time we complain about something we are shifting the focus of our thinking to an ideal. We don’t like life as it is coming ‘now’, we have a better idea of how it should be, and damn it, why isn’t it that way!
This is just another way of describing how easily we see ‘the cup half empty’. The way flows; no thing stays the same (except Nothing perhaps). In life, we are either ebbing or flowing, rising or sinking, going or returning... Seeing ‘the cup half empty’ is a symptom of rising and going with our ideals and desires. Sinking and returning happens when, in contentment, we feel ‘the cup half full’.
Thus, every complaint is an opportunity lost if in the complaint we don’t realize we have too many desires at that moment. Only if we have the presence of mind, through being present with our moment, can we see what is happening and at least ponder the alternative ‘cup half full’ point of view. Pondering that improves our chances of turning failure (death) into success (life).
Note: There is nothing inherently wrong with failure and death of course - to the contrary. However, being alive, feeling ‘the cup half full’, opportunity side of the coin, is one of our most driving needs. Ironically, desire often works against fulfilling that need.
So, I'm surprised at you taking sides!
I think biologically we are strewn towards seeing the cup as half empty. It's the hunter gatherer instinct. Uh oh, we're almost out of milk and we rise (your word) from our chair and go to the store or to our dairy cow out back.
(Somehow I hear Kyle's voice in here telling us that's why he drinks tea...you can keep so much on hand and it doesn't go sour.)
Anyway, the words "sinking and returning...in contentment" perfectly describe how that feels. Also, it's helpful to see that when I'm complaining, perhaps I have "too many desires" or that my desires are overpowering me, whoever that is, and I might try being present.
Lynn Cornish:I think biologically we are strewn towards seeing the cup as half empty. It's the hunter gatherer instinct.
Yes, for sure. But, we 'need' to see it half full. We have an innate fear that it is half empty which drives us to always want it to be full... we want to see it full.
Without our mind's memory, we wouldn't be carrying around all our 'cup half empty' baggage. Our desires keep reminding us of what we're missing.
How is that?
Our desires keep reminding us of what we're missing. How is that?
I think it's a survival thing. In the business and political world, it's called drive. Think of how little drive you and I have compared to Bill and Hillary Clinton! Or even some friends or spouses of ours/mine. I'm thinking success is the result of great need or great fear or a combination of the two.
When you see the big picture (meaning we are all going to die), then the fears settle down and the needs subside (is there a direct correlation there?) and we achieve some contentment.
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