Back a few days ago I was feeling a little low. The warm weather was bringing out the buff shirtless guys, and unfortunately the eye candy had the side effect of me feeling not so fit. It felt like no matter how hard I worked, just the appearance of someone with six-pack abs ruined the whole day.
The following day, after my seminar was finished, I went on a tour of the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland. It was beautiful and peaceful and I dearly wish I had more time to spend there, but unfortunately the earliest I could get there was 5:30pm and they close at 6, so it was a little rushed.
Of course I had to visit the little souvenir shop to pick up a little something. That's when my attention was directed at this little book called:
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge comic book fan. And anyone who further knows me knows that it was a comic book called Zen Speaks by Tsai Chih Chung was the book that started me down the zen path. Needless to say, I had to buy Basic Buddhism Through Comics.
That night, as per my habit, I began to read the book before bedtime. That's when the message from the universe came through, pointing out that I was causing my own suffering by trying to compare myself to the people I was seeing and pointing out that I was coming up short without really considering all of the conditions and time that helped create the physical shape those buff guys were showing off.
My focus has to be away from the unhelpful comparisons with other people and directed toward how I look today in contrast to how I looked a year ago, using that to push me further on to my ultimate goal of developing a healthier and fitter body. Six-pack abs would be nice and someday I'll get there—it's just going to take me longer than other people because of how out of shape I was when I started these programs. I just need to push on to the final goal.
A comnic fan, eh? We should hang out. If you ever come to Japan I'lltake you t oa comic store worth writing home about. Heh.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge comics fan (so says the many comic boxes that I own -- and yes, my comics are boarded and bagged). My favorite is the DC Universe, although I have periodically gotten into the Marvel Universe. I also read many independent books too (Fables, Doctor Who, Y-The Last Man).
ReplyDeleteIf I ever make it to Japan, I'll make sure I take you up on that offer. (And I'll probably regret the shipping costs ;-)
E, I went through the same thing a couple years ago. I kept comparing myself to my friends, feeling down when I felt so behind in some areas, untalented in others.
ReplyDeleteMy greatest boost in confidence and emotional stability came when I began to love myself, pitting myself against me alone though using others for inspiration.
It's hard to love oneself, but when you do, you become capable of receiving love from others.