A Parable
Buddha told a parable in a sutra:
A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.
Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!
My Musings
Life comes at us from all directions. On any given day, work, friends, family, bills, and stress can pile up, driving us to the edge. Some days are so full of distractions and responsibilities, that we don’t take the time to take care of ourselves. We feel burnt out, lost, impatient, and irritable. On days like this, we must take advantage of any moment we have, to indulge in the sweetness of life.
Writing Applications
As writers, we face this doubly. On top of typical daily worries, we have deadlines, editors, and clients, that can leave us frazzled and ready to give up. Daily tasks can leave us overwhelmed, and we avoid doing the one thing we love: writing. We get caught up in the race, and lose the objectiveness we need to write clearly.
When life is trying to suck you into its whirlwind, just stop. Take a moment, however long you can spare, to do something you enjoy. Grab a cup of coffee, meditate, go for a walk. Once you have paused long enough to clear your mind and renew your spirit, grab your notebook or keyboard and start writing. Dive into your words, and remember why you decided to be a writer in the first place. Writing is your first love, your passion, your obsession. Never lose that joy, no matter what is going on around you.
