being too hard on yourself

It's common in meditation practice. 

Either you aren't practicing enough or you aren't achieving bliss or nirvana every time. There is very little to be gained from this thinking. Very few ever reach those rarified states, even after decades of practice. And no one practices as often as they'd like to. So give yourself a break. Honestly.

I felt quite sorry about myself when i realized i hadn't posted in weeks. And why? I'm not even sure anyone reads this, but i do benefit mentally and emotionally from the exercise.

That's a good word, exercise. The blog is an exercise just as the practice of meditation is exercise just as going to the gym is. Quite a useful word, indeed.

So yeah, I need to go to the gym more and I wish i were thinner and fitter. Yeah, I need to blog more and write the smartest most important things, and yeah, I need to meditate more and better. And...

You see what I'm getting at? 

Expectations for outcomes can be traps because the outcome is rarely enough and the real purpose is getting there, not being there. It's showing up and doing the thing, whatever the outcome. It can always be more, sure. It can always be better, sure. But we have to show up first and just practice. Just exercise. Just do the thing. 

So here's to the first post in weeks! And here's to however many more it takes--not to reach blogger nirvana. Just simply getting there.

Love, Jeff