Classroom Talk
Fall 2002 Archive
What's important Posted by Student John on November 13, 2002 at 11:08:44:
Hello all. Back in June Coach wrote:
"Teaching Plan for Completing the Sixth Grade
and the Formal TTMT Training Course.
1. Having a Working Daily Mindfulness Practice Going.
Waking up more often, and cultivating the ability to
stay awake longer when you wish to.
2. Examining the Human Ego.
How to *see* its obvious repetitive movements
traveling around in the space of the Field.
3. Being Relentlessly on the Job Trail.
("Wow, and they're paying me for doing this!")
4. The Human Mating Dance.
How to spot a loving lover in the busy uncaring crowd.
5. Mindfulness and Raising Children.
("Getting the child to teach you what's best for the child.")
6. Playing Sports Mindfully for Enjoyment and for Skill.
Learning to "get into that zone" on purpose for the sheer fun of doing
it.
7. Cultivating the ability to hear "the music" of personality types.
A non-cognitive way of playing the awareness game.
8. Cultivating the ability to speak The Language of Being.
Experience sharing from the heart, talking right through personality
to reach to the heart of others."
While all of these apply to me there are two that are specific
applications of mindfulness with which I had been struggling since
joining class. Nos. 5 & 6. So I thought I’d give some feed back how
things are going even though I haven't asked for any “specific”
teaching since then on these topics.
Regarding my grandson I began to “listen” to what he was saying. The
upshot of which is the following direct quote, “You can’t have too
much fun, huh, ompa?” This statement/question began to carry for me
the seed of what was wrong. He wanted to have fun and he was pleading
with me to “agree." Not just in words but in attitude and action. He
went to a “fun” summer camp coming home nearly every day muddy in need
of a comic hosing down before he could come in the house. He was
expelled one day for hitting and handled the situation beautifully by
himself. He was having fun and didn’t want it to end abruptly. His
mother decided against her seventh back operation and since mid August
has had him with her. He and she are doing marvelously. He visits us
regularly and sleeps over. They seem to be having fun. Joy in my
heart.
Re: having fun at games. Golf has been for me a mark of
accomplishment and therefore important. I “knew” how important but I
hadn’t explored the inner feeling of that importance until recently.
I get so anxious that much of a given day might be devoted thinking
about golf, how to do it, how it will feel if I do well and conversely
how I’ll handle any disappointment. I’ve decided to “feel” the
anxiety rather than “think” about it and recently my practice sessions
have been fun and productive. I’m still not ready to take this to the
course but there will be a time when I will. For example, I play
tennis and bridge regularly and have fun.
Mindfulness, self-observation and self-knowledge is what's important.
Hope everyone is well. Sincerely, Student John
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