Article by Margaret Goodwin
I have to do this!
I have to do that!
When?
Now!
Oh no! Life is crazy. How do I handle this?
I’m running late and people are expecting me to be there and on the ball.
But I don’t know if I can do it all.
And I’m running late!
Oh no!
All right, I’ll get there. I’ll do it.
But, what about the rest of the things they’re waiting for?
I have to do them.
They’re waiting for them.
This is crazy. I can’t handle this.
As I was driving myself on to fulfil yet another demand,
my mind went back to when I was little.
It was a timeless time.
I played all day until mum called me inside for lunch or dinner.
My whole focus was on what I was doing:
I was making mud pies.
I was climbing onto the roof of the chicken shed.
I was wishing I could go with my big brother over the fence to play in the old trains.
One day, against my mother’s wishes, he took me with him.
It was wonderful in those old train carriages.
It was like time had stood still in there.
I would imagine what they would look like, such old-fashioned carriages,
with people in there back in time. I was in another world there.
My goodness, I forgot everything else but what I was experiencing.
It was wonderful.
I remember watching my brother play marbles with a group of neighbourhood boys.
My brother always won. One day he let me play too.
He let me win. I was so happy.
When I reached the next “demand”, I was feeling much lighter.
I was open to others and could appreciate their ideas and was ready to accept their way.
It made a difference, thinking back for a short while.
Later in the day, my mind drifted back again to the special times in my childhood –
when I was carefree. I just lived in the moment, every moment. I moved along, living.
I don’t know why it happened that my mind went back, but I’m glad of it.
It made a difference to my day.
It put things into perspective for me and in an interesting way.
It wasn’t that I organised
or reorganised
or re-assessed
or managed my tasks or my mind.
It just made a difference without any effort from me.
It put the present into its place and it made me put things in perspective.
It was a subtle thing within me.
It reset my “clock”, my inner clock; it reset me.
Why rush? Do what I have to do. Do it carefully and well.
Give myself time to reflect every now and then.
See myself in that reflection.
See my life and what is important.
(Margaret Goodwin is a practitioner and teacher of Brahma Kumaris meditation.
She can be contacted on blacktown@au.brahmakumaris.org)
Brahma Kumaris in Australia
The Brahma Kumaris have had a presence in Australia since 1975. There are centres and class locations in the major cities, as well as three Centres for Spiritual Learning, where courses, classes and retreats are held
Brahma Kumaris Australia is a registered charity in the area of education (spiritual). All programs are offered free of charge as a service to the community. The ongoing operations are funded through donations from students and the public in the spirit of maintaining its educational services for the benefit of all in the community.
Meditation online: http://learnmeditationonline.org
www.brahmakumaris.org.au
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