“Moment by Moment, Just Do It.” Seungh Sahn
Life in this planet is marked by endless change. In fact, this element seems to be an intrinsic part of life. How do you deal with sudden changes in your life or at work? As a CEO of a small non-profit organization, I had this challenge a few weeks ago.
Children teach me how to be present
During my last trip to Central America, we received devastating news from our pre-school in El Salvador. Centro Hogar, a pre-school in San Salvador, no longer would receive support for scholarships from their donors in Sweden. This was a major loss for the school, given that so many children needed the scholarships. All of a sudden, 37 preschoolers were at risk of not going to school. In an environment crowded with gangs, poverty, drugs, human trafficking and sexual exploitation, the scholarships were the only chance for those children and their families to have a better future.
When we face changes, our first reaction is to panic. Fear, anger or just any form of reactivity can taint our capacity to make clear decisions. Mindfulness plays an important role in the way we make decisions in our life. To control any form of knee jerk reaction, I often take a pause. You don’t have to do anything, just simply follow your breath. Breath in and out for a few minutes, in your office or at work, and focus in the moment. Use mindfulness to scan the feelings and thoughts crowding your mind. Slowly, as you breath in and breathe out, watch the feelings and thoughts unfold and find more clarity in the moment. Think of your mind clear and open like the sky and those thoughts and feelings as just clouds crossing by. Let go of the initial shock and open the mind to possibilities. Zen master Seung Sahn used to teach that “moment by moment, your life will be complete.” This means, when dealing with life, be present to the possibilities of the moment, find clarity in that moment and then act clearly to help others. Moment by moment, seeing changes as unfolding possibilities, the situation will be clear.
The Clouds and the Sky
After receiving the bad news about the school, I shared my concerns with some people I knew. A couple of members from the group going to El Salvador came out with ideas regarding crowd sourcing solutions. My team in California and Chicago, working with the in-country coordinator in San Salvador provided the information needed to implement the new plan and the new technology. For weeks, other members of the board reached out to donors, friends and family. By the time we ended our fundraising efforts, implementing new technologies and searching for new ways of reaching out to donors, I can confidently say those efforts were one of our most successful campaigns in years. I learned a lot and we found new ways of reaching out to people supporting preschool education for poor children around the world.
How do you deal with change? Do you often fall into anger, reactivity or fear? Next time you deal with the shock of change, take a pause. Breath in and out for a few minutes. Compassionately watch your feelings and thoughts as they unfold in your mind. Keep your mind open and clear, see those thoughts changing as if they were clouds moving in the sky. Ask “What can I do in this moment?” Then, moment by moment, just do it.
Peace,
Juan