One Breath

I just finished Pema Chodorn's book Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change.  It was great and her message was both profound and simple, just like life.

She challenges her readers to make three commitments:
         1. Do no harm.
          2. Help others
          3. Accept life exactly as it is at this very moment.

WOW!

What resonated most with me as I read her words was the gentleness. She calls us to be gentle with ourselves when we mess up. I am notoriously hard on myself. Being kind and loving to myself in my thoughts has always been a struggle. If I commit to something or someone and fall short, I spend way too much of my precious time beating myself up. Pema's words encouraged me to simply recognize the shortcoming, breathe and leap again in commitment. In that breath there is no room for guilt or shame or self incrimination. AMEN!

Recognize. Breathe in. Breathe out. Commit again. Don't get into the story.

I can do that.