Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
~~Mary Oliver
By blickpixel on pixabay
Oliver, the consummate writer of the extraordinary in the ordinary, helps us to see what is around us, every day, every moment. She tells us how she does it…attention, astonishment, sharing.
Pay attention.
Don’t cling.
Be kind.
~~Sally Armstrong
Armstrong, a Buddhist mediation teacher, begins in the same way as Oliver and then moves into a different direction…attention, letting go, kindness. She calls this a 6 word mantra.
I don’t know.
~~Anonymous
(I truly don’t know who said or wrote this or where I found it!)
This unknown author distills their wisdom into three words. Here we are have a short memo to be curious with an open mind, willing to listen and learn.
Each of these teachings could function as a mantra, the tried and tested practice of repeating a phrase or word to bring the mind to quiet so that we can discover our true nature, or higher power. The word mantra is derived from two Sanskrit words—man, meaning mind and tra which means tool. A mantra is a tool for the mind.
While Oliver, Armstrong and the unknown author might not have enlightenment in mind in these teachings, they can serve as guides to living. Their wisdom can inspire ours as well as keeping our minds awake to what is important. It is a tool for us to use to sharpen our sense of aliveness. It is a tool for us to use to dig deep into our eldering.
After contemplating these words, and decades of my own meditation experience, I decided to search for six words that I could use as daily, or even moment to moment, reminders of the life I choose to live.
Inhale
Exhale
Relax
Open
Connect
Embrace
While they are not complete sentences, these are words that allow me to be present, to be my fullest, most authentic self in any moment. They don’t demand a bendy body or a meditation cushion—only the willingness to continue to grow into my elder years with awareness.
What is your six (or three) word mantra? What are your words to live by?