A friend warned that writing something everyday in the same vein may lead to repetition. I soured my face as though I had just sucked on a lemon and agreed. Oh, no…what if I do that? What if I repeat myself—tie the same idea to different words? What if I am on a the gerbil wheel of good intentions and keep repeating: Be Mindful, Be Mindful, Be Mindful?
I may become like the parent who keeps saying to the child: Don’t do that! until the child can no longer hear the command and only feels the shiver of air from the familiar wind. It can be that way with other things in life as well…such as food.
We do all the familiar things and create all the familiar responses and pretty soon nothing is unique…everything tastes the same. I like to cook, but have the habit of using the same ingredients—not there is anything wrong with garlic, olive oil, name a pasta, add a vegetable, but overtime I realize I am just doing the same thing night after night, week after week. I stop tasting the ingredients and just swallow the output.
To experience something new—in the kitchen or out—I have to be willing to get off the gerbil wheel and venture into unknown territory. I have to be willing to put some effort into finding something new—whether it is a new ingredient or new friend or a new language. And newness offers that chance for us to feel the unfamiliar. That is important, but just as important is to take the old menu—the old practices—and address them again with the discerning sense that truly allows the experience to be the fullest it can be.
For today, step into the idea of being a part of all that is and yes, be mindful, but also really taste the world around you.