Channel Switch and Channel Control - New Year Resolution

In a book called Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh, there is an interesting idea that might provide guidance as we mush towards the New Year 2011. I am trying to stay grounded. I am hoping for common sense decision making. I have noted colleagues talking about resolutions that include Yoga, healthy food consumption and more exercise. Thich Nhat Hanh talks about the Buddha Inside and the control we each have from within. He suggests we should think about ourselves as a television set with many options.

There are people who are stuck on Channel 3, the sorrowful channel. They are always downbeat, complaining, sad and annoyed. They arrive with a “Hey ain’t it awful” attitude. Indeed there are real reasons to have Channel 3 at the ready. Stuff happens that does not fit into our work or life plan that is a Channel 3 event. Just today I mentioned to my daughter that some are dealt such challenging cards. The Vietnamese philosopher however believes, sometimes in our too much Channel 3 focus, we miss the other channels that are available and present. It is really like forgetting all of the colors available to us and only using blue. There is a Channel 5 that may be about focusing on the here and now. Just stopping and breathing and being present is switching to Channel 5. The other day I quickly moved to Channel 5 when I was washing my hands and delighted in the warm water. Holding my 22 month old grand daughter and smelling her hair and enjoying her laughter is pure Channel 5. I am finding Channel 5 a mini vacation moment during the workday. I just switch stations and go to a “Happy Place.” I find Channel 5 during a traffic jam and think of the tulips in Holland. I am then quite able to switch to Channel 8, which is about program directing and problem solving. Teaching classes requires a different channel. When I run, I flip to a relaxed no brainer channel and listen to my breathing and my feet crunching on the snow. Parenting requires a myriad of channels. We spent four days with three young children during the last big snow storm. At no time was Channel 5 an option. We needed to be multi faceted, focused and at the ready.

Recognizing that within is our own Channel Control is quite empowering. At times I have longed for a channel changer or clicker to use on others which allows one to switch channels from afar. Wouldn’t that be something if we could encourage others to celebrate the oranges, bright reds and greens of their lives?

Truth is we each need to pay attention to our own attitude and inner channel clicker. Gail Goodwin said, as soon as you feel yourself getting stuck like fat congealing on a plate, give yourself a kick. I am trying to avoid stuck at all costs. Thich Nhat Hanh says first you need to cherish, protect and make life possible and then work your way back to all other issues. The best way to make life possible is to practice channel switching and pay attention to wonders that surround us and worthy of cherish. This is not about ignoring sorrow. But it is about not wallowing in it. Many in sorrowful states have found the Buddha within to help them not only survive but celebrate. I am trying this new year to use all of my channels. I am even considering a cable hook up. 2011 is the year to keep calm and carry on.