 Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
Steve's post reflects what little I have learned about the practice of zen. One of the key precepts is focused attention on every little thing that one does. "Chop wood. Carry water." Not "Chop wood to work out feelings of frustration. Carry water while griping about how far the pump is from the stove."
By being completely cognizant of one's every action, the way you are when you are first learning a complex task, you become aware of the beauty in these simple actions. The "wow" that Steve describes comes in those moments where your concentration and action become your entire existence; the rest of the world drops away for a time.
The more you practice this, the easier it is to get to that "wow" as you are doing things in the typical multi-tasking way we are used to. It is still refreshing, however, to practice focusing on a single task from time to time. |