510: Slow and Steady Gets it Done - Living the Buddha

It amazes me how some wisdom seems so timeless.  The quotes from the buddha that I have been reading all talk about principles that are of use today.  Take today’s quote for example.

A jug is filled drop by drop

Think about the simple wisdom in those 7 words.  The Buddha is saying that consistency is key.  it doesn’t matter how insignificant the action may seem; if it is repeated with consistency, the goal will be achieved.

It’s clear that the Buddha took small consistent actions to heart.  Clearly he felt that actions, no matter how small, would lead to something great.  It seemed to be a common theme in China.  After all, Lao-Tau was quoted as saying

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

I think it is clear how both of these philosophers can add to our lives today.  For instance, when was the last time you were faced with a big project, either at home or at work?  Most people, take a look at a project and set their minds to worrying about all the effort it will take, all the time that will be involved. Once they have sufficiently overwhelmed themselves they turn to the nearest comfort; TV, games, eating or sleeping.

But not the Buddha or Lao Tzu.  Lao-Tau would say, just start.  Take one small step forward and know that your first action will propel you to finish.  It’s sound logical.  You hear it echoed by personal development coaches today.

The Buddha would go on to say, “Cool, you took your first step, now keep going.  Just stay with it.  Your actions don’t have to be huge; they just need to be consistent, like the drops of water in that jug.

It’s a simple message and wisdom that gets totally pushed aside by our fear-soaked reptilian brain.  But it doesn’t have to get lost.  If you take time each day to meditate, to train your mind so see where it is flat out lying to you, you can beat any fear or any societal belief that has been instilled in you, accurate or not.

Questions of the day

• What is one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
• What is one step that you can take right now to get the momentum moving.
• What is one thing you can do each day to keep that dream alive?

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