Keys for Being More in the Moment

• Start small and make it a regular practice.
  Build new, helpful habits through repetition over time.
• Make a change in your routine.
  By making small changes to our routine, we naturally notice things more.
• Simplify your life.
  We can make positive improvements in our life by cutting out things, even if it means doing less or doing only one thing at a time.
• Practice deep breathing.
  We can reduce, and perhaps alleviate, stress and and anxiety by regulating our breathing.
• Cultivate idleness.
  There’s a fine line between idleness and boredom. Sometimes, the best use of time is to “waste” a bit of it, which can reset our thoughts and actions.
• Savor what you’re doing.
  Make an effort to enjoy whatever you’re doing.
• Focus more on the process than the purpose.
  This is especially helpful when it comes to repetitive, mundane tasks like cooking and gardening.

The Secret to Everything: How to Live More and Suffer Less
Neel Burton

Tea Ceremony

There is an old Japanese story about the Zen tea master Sen no Rikyu… 

One day, a Sakai tea man invited Rikyu to a tea ceremony in the hope of impressing him with an antique tea jar from China. But despite being served from the jar, Rikyu didn’t seem to notice it, commenting instead on the simple scenery outside the tea hut. When Rikyu left, the trader smashed the precious jar to pieces and withdrew in anger. Luckily, all was not lost. One of the other guests gathered the pieces and glued them together with golden lacquer. When he came next, Rikyu recognized the mended jar. ‘Ah’ he said, ‘now it is magnificent!’

The Secret to Everything
Neel Burton