Not every moment of every day in every season of our lives do we find ourselves traveling through big, exciting, or challenging experiences. Sometimes our lives are actually dull in ways. And in other ways we may not be capable of attuning constantly to the bigness and the joy of these smaller, duller experiences and periods. Boredom can set in even between hospital visits, even between Friday and Monday, even between picking up a date and arriving at the restaurant. Washing dishes, painstakingly teaching ourselves a new instrument, running a mile — we can become a bit numb. Remembering to drink water, to space out now and then, to call home — we can forget to do all of these, to notice the richness in simple acts. Paradoxically, the sometimes duller parts of life can feel exhausting. We may sense deep down a fear that we are stuck here. But when we notice what is happening and give ourselves our own compassion and nurturance again in these mediocre spaces, we can find solace in the slower parts of life. How do you come back to curiosity in life's shallow places?
[image description: A flamingo struts through a shallow body of water with the anthropomorphic thought, "You must learn to rest in shallow places." A heart with a quizzical facial expression mimics the flamingo, strutting along behind. Text reads: "Flamingo Meditation."]
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