Buddhist parable
If you’re experiencing a negative thought, feeling, or event, it’s as if you’ve already been pierced by one arrow. But if you react to it with another negative thought or feeling, you’re shooting yourself with a second arrow, making the injury even worse.
Acknowledge the reality of a problem in a calm nonreactive, neutral manner.That’s not resignation; that’s preparing for action.
Think of your attention as being like water. You have only so much of it to go around – so the question becomes: Which seeds will you give it to?
Chances are, you’re scattering it in too many directions rather than focusing it on what’s most important to you. That’s partly because digital distractions are almost constantly vying for your attention. And it’s also because Western culture promotes busyness for its own sake.
You also need to reassess your busyness by periodically asking yourself, Is what I’m doing really necessary? And is it serving my deepest values? If not, what could I do to stop scattering my “water” and focus it on the seeds I want to grow?
Of course, a seed needs more than water to grow; it also needs time. The same goes for the biggest goals in life. Unfortunately, Western culture also encourages people to rush everything to completion as quickly as possible.
This not only leads to burnout but also half-baked results at best and self-defeating outcomes at worst. For instance, athletes can easily injure themselves if they train too hard to achieve their fitness goals too fast.
To counteract this tendency and adopt a more patient attitude, break your goals down into smaller steps, and then focus on just completing the one you’re on. Slow and steady wins the race – step by step by step.
Meandering leads to perfection 