In most cases LIFE is not digital. It really isn’t. Think of anything that is definitely 100% ON or definitely 0% OFF. Even death can be seen as a controversial concept. Lots of shades of grey. For sure more than fifty! Amazingly tho, there are phenomena in our environment that seem to somehow fulfill the criteria nevertheless.
Ever had one of these taxidrivers in Hong Kong, who operated their business on two skills only – accelerating and braking. To express this in logical terms: accelerating OR braking. What an experience. Your nodding neck will soon tell you that you turned into a bobblehead (German: Wackeldackel – in this case more charming) and displeasedness will cloud your mind.
Just an hour ago I attended a free meditation at the Good Life Cafe in Pai. Stan, who guided the meditation gently brought us to explore if there is a space between sensations and thoughts that arise in our awareness. “And if” he said “then what is that space?”. He continued “Try to observe that space – don’t search for it”. <Oha!> I thought. I concluded that there shall be a space and also that I shall develop a kind of relaxed attitude towards experiencing it. Hence the “find it, but don’t look for it”-Instruction which can be confusing for someone with English as second
Now coming back to the taxi driver. Surely, even in a slightly drunken state I could still drive more smoothly you would think. That’s ok. But halter your anger and curb your resentments. Can you find the space between the driver’s kick-down and him slamming on the brakes?
If that seems difficult as of now, let me give you another example: A smart and very sporty client of mine once told me, that you always need to find space while working out or in a competition. In rowing, he said, you need to use that millisecond between strokes to relax and rejuvenate. For my swimming exercise I learned to relax by using the short moment when pushing off after the flip turn of each lap.
Over the holidays, I want to invite you to look for things that are digital in your life and your environment. When you find one – see if you can yet discover the space in between.
Forgot to tell you: It’s meant to be a good thing to find that space!
Digital Taxidrivers
