The Mindfulness and Resilience Lesson That Keeps Resurfacing

<p> Hey there, it's Michael. Welcome to Whole Again, the show that's here in support of the person you're becoming in your quest to live a meaningful life. And as this episode is released, I'm somewhere in New York State on the Empire State Trail, traveling from the Canadian border up near Rouses Point, right there on Lake Champlain, down to Albany, and then hugging the Hudson River as it flows towards New York City until I get to the very tip of NYC and a beautiful view of Lady Liberty.</p>
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<p>And when I complete this route, it means that I've done all of the Empire State Trail, north to south, west to east I've ridden through the five boroughs of New York City and all the way out to the very tip of Long Island. So as a New York kid, I think I've done New York proud. I've spent a whole life riding through the Empire State.</p>
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<p>In this trip, I'll cover over 400 miles, and I know it will be filled with many important lessons. Some I already know, and some will be new ones. But there's one lesson that keeps returning on each bike tour I do, bike race, actually almost every ride, and it ties beautifully into mindfulness. In fact, it's one of the nine qualities of mindfulness.</p>
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<p>It's called acceptance. In today's culture, I think I'm supposed to say radical acceptance to make acceptance even edgier, but I don't think Buddha was talking about radical acceptance. He was just talking about acceptance. Acceptance isn't passive resignation. It's not about lowering our standards.</p>
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<p>Actually, acceptance is very active. But before we can take action, we're called to see things as they are, not as we want them to be. When we fall into the camp of wishing things were different, how we wish for them to be, well, that just creates dissatisfaction or pain or suffering, and from that place, it's hard to take action that could potentially make things better.</p>
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<p>So on a long bike tour, I will face all different types of weather. It might rain, it might be really sunny, it could be hot, it could be windy. Perhaps I get a tailwind, but I might get a really stiff headwind What I learned coming through my recovery is that I can't argue with reality because reality and mother nature, well, they win 100% of their arguments.</p>
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<p>So if I spent all my energy fighting the wind, wishing it wasn't so stiff or, or wishing it wasn't raining when it is, well, that's all energy I can't use to pedal my bike forward, and spending energy on that doesn't change the weather. The only thing that changes the weather is time and whatever mother nature can do with the weather, but that's beyond my control.</p>
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<p>Now, don't get me wrong. It's not like I enjoy riding in the rain or trying to pedal through a really strong headwind. No, I would rather have it be 68 degrees, sunny, with no humidity and a tailwind. That would be my preference. And actually, I have one more request. If you could make the road flat, mm, chef's kiss for you But riding on a flat road with a tailwind in beautiful conditions, well, that gets a little boring after a while.</p>
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<p>I like the diversity you get when you do a tour like this, when the road goes up and down, and there's twists and turns, and some of the weather does change. Again, I'm not a huge fan at my age of riding in the rain, but when it comes, one mindfulness practice to lean into is acceptance. So my question for you is, where are you trying to argue with reality?</p>
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<p>When are you not allowing the conditions to be as they are and are wishing for things to be totally different? You can make change happen, but only when we first accept what is. Again, we don't have to like it. We just have to see it for what it is, and then from there, we take intentional action by putting on a raincoat or getting out from the rain and allowing the storm to pass.</p>
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<p>When I come back from the trip, I'll share more lessons of mindfulness with you. I hope to finish up tomorrow as this episode is released, and then on the day after that, well, a little recovery, and then I'll slide right into the anniversary of my last bad day.</p>
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<p>As always, thank you for being here. Thank you for being part of my Peloton, and way to keep pedaling through your challenges. As we know, the only way through is through. And I hope you'll check out tomorrow's episode of the series I'm doing this summer called A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America as She Turns 250.</p>
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<p>In it, I'm speaking with 102 everyday Americans like you on their thoughts about where we stand as a country. The series has given me hope that we can come together and form a more perfectly imperfect union, and I hope you'll check it out. But until then, let's remember to celebrate our scars as golden symbols of our strength and resilience, and don't forget to have fun storming the castle.</p>
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<p>And if you wish to learn more about creating beautiful ripples and how to prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day, please visit my website, michaelobrienshift.com, and sign up for my newsletter called The Ripple Effect. And join us each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday here at Whole Again, and discover how you can heal, grow, and become more resilient, and celebrate our scars as golden symbols of strength and resilience.</p>
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<p>Until then, remember, you can always come back to your breath. You've got this, and we've got you.</p>