You Mean From Here?

Many years ago we were driving to northeast Louisiana from central Texas. We planned to stop in Longview Texas to see some friends on the way. The route took us on a bypass around Tyler Texas, but we decided to go downtown and get some barbeque for lunch. As we were leaving I asked an older man how to get to Longview. His response was, “You mean from here?”

I was polite to the gentleman, but my wife and I had a good laugh once we got in the car. Of course we want to get to Longview from here. We don’t need directions from Dallas or Houston. That would be pointless.

Over the years I’ve thought about that story. I’ve also thought a lot about how many times I wanted to metaphorically get somewhere from a place other than where I was. I wanted for something to be different, but I wasn’t dealing with it the way that it was. That often involved regret, sometimes from an incident long ago.

I saw it happen a lot on the basketball court. A player would miss an easy shot or make a bad pass. Very often after that, and I could usually see it coming, they would compound the problem by making a foolish foul. They regretted their initial misplay. The regret quickly turned into frustration, which was the cause of the foul.

Every day situations arise that I wish were different at that point in time. Instead of doing something foolish I say to myself “from here.” That helps me become present and I can deal with things as they are instead of how I want them to be. The best statement I’ve ever seen regarding this comes from NBA hall of fame coach Phil Jackson in his book Sacred Hoops. I have slightly paraphrased the quote to make it more personal for me. Here is what I say to myself every morning as part of preparing for my day.

“It is said that the gap between accepting things the way they are and wishing them to be otherwise is the tenth of an inch between heaven and hell. If I can accept whatever hand I’ve been dealt, no matter how unwelcome, the way to proceed eventually becomes clear. This is what is meant by right action: the capacity to observe what’s happening and act appropriately without being distracted by self-centered thoughts. If I rage and resist my angry, fearful mind has trouble quieting down sufficiently to allow me to act in the most beneficial way for myself and others.”

When I have an angry fearful mind I have a greater chance of doing something foolish, like a player making a dumb foul. Grounding myself in the present by saying “from here” helps me bring all my resources to the current situation, as it is, instead of wishing it was different.

May you have enough today, one moment at a time.