From The Daily Dialogue
From The Daily Dialogue
Broadcast of 12/20/98
Subject: [DailyDialogue #342] Transforming Parties with Attention
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things;
Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing wax --
Of cabbages -- and kings --
And why the sea is boiling hot --
And whether pigs have wings."
Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
Parties can be fun, especially parties with good friends, the kind of friends who know us well and love us. Parties can also be difficult and may leave us feeling wistful or sad, perhaps wondering: "Is that all there is?" or "What's wrong with me, did I miss something?"
I'm thinking that mindfulness and dialogue offer a way to transform the holiday parties and family gatherings. Rather than experiencing a barrage of over-stimulation, over-eating, and under-communication, we can experience personal delight and a feeling of connection and warmth for the event and others at the event.
It could be said that one's experience hinges on how we pay attention and where we choose to place our attention. Perhaps it's best to pay attention to the simplest things: the taste of each bite of food, the exquisite ornament on the tree, the words and the details on the face of a person who is speaking to us. It's impossible to take it all in, so better to look for the small things that delight and arouse our curiosity.
Experiment: Practice mindfully noticing the details that delight you at the holiday gathering. Try to gently stop yourself from judging what you see. Dialogue about the party with your partner. Compare and notice how your experience differed.
Affirmation: Paying attention to that which delights honors our preferences.
More on transforming parties next time…
The Daily Dialogue is published each day of 1998 by e-mail. Copyright 1998, Eddy Brame and Marty Crouch, All rights reserved.
