Everyday Bushido

You wake up aware. Seems a simple enough thing, but when was the last time it happened to you? Most people wake up groggy, unhappy, with that morning "amnesia" that keeps us from waking up screaming. We try to start our day dreading the feeling, groping for the toothbrush or the coffee maker or worse yet the cellphone. Mornings are for alot of people not the best of times, a time of dread that means that a new day of toil has begun. I will share here a way to find joy in the everyday of your life in the hopes that some may find it useful. I call it Everyday Bushido.

Bushido is most often associated with the Samurai of feudal Japan. It has many complex ideas, amongst them service and honour. At it's core though is a philosophy of life lived in the moment. Upon waking stop a moment and focus on a single thing. A sound perhaps or a glimpse of light, hold onto that and breath. Let what you are going to do that day pass for a moment and relish that small thing that you have awakened to, the first moment of consciousness. From that first moment move onto the next, finding the beauty in any small thing around you as you wake more fully, staying still focused on single things around you and associating them with the life you have been granted.

As you prepare for your day take the time to notice the things that you would not have before. As you make coffee notice the smell of the grounds and the texture of the crystals. As you get dressed, take notice of the feel of the fabric against your skin. Each moment, take the time to rediscover the sensations of being alive that you had ignored or missed before, and continue through the day. The feel of the carseat, the sound of the engine, the tones of the radio that you had before let pass without paying attention. On your drive into work notice the wind, the trees, the grass and the people around you.

Whatever work you do, try to recognize the small details around you. Things as small as a coworker's new tie, the discolored spot on your desk, the wording of a memo, and work to find the beauty as part of life that is in all of these. Let the day pass as it may, and find joy in each small sensation that you witness. Work is no longer work when you choose to see it in a different light. When you are typing a response to an email, when was the last time you marveled at the words appearing on the screen, and took joy in them? To do so will leave in you a peace, that even the hectic pace of modern life cannot touch.

As you drive home after your day, take joy in the changes that happened between your morning commute and your evening. Things are always changing, life is always moving. Take the moment to allow yourself to relax. Tell yourself that life is indeed beautiful and you will find that the thought indeed makes it so. As you pull into your driveway, allow yourself a smile, for you faced a day of adversity and met it with tranquility. I'm willing to bet you'll sleep soundly this night.

Embracing Everyday Bushido takes practice. Somedays you will still be frustrated, but if you can take a step back from the thing that is frustrating you and find the beauty of the moment, the frustration will give way to peace, allowing you to continue moment by moment to the solution you need. This simple philosophy may seem quaint to some, or mere psycological nonsense, but if you try it for yourself you may find that as simple as it is, it works. Embrace the beauty of everything around you and you will be hard pressed to succumb to negativity in your daily life.