Hello and welcome.
In this meditation we're going to explore what happens when a problem is present and how the mind immediately tries to fix it.
We'll notice how the struggle to find a solution often creates more tension than the problem itself.
How,
Instead of chasing a solution,
Sometimes one presents itself when you give up the chase.
Whenever you're ready,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze if you prefer.
Take a moment to let the body settle.
Not to improve it,
Not to relax it,
Not to fix it.
Just get comfortable.
Notice where the body makes contact.
The chair,
Floor,
The bed.
How gravity is holding you in place.
Let the breath breathe on its own.
You do not need to improve breathing.
Breathing already knows what it's doing.
Now I'd like to ask you to bring to mind a problem that is present for you right now.
Something that is actually here in your life.
Something real,
Not abstract.
And whatever it may be,
Let it appear without dressing it up.
No story,
No explanation.
Just a sense of the problem as it is.
As if you were holding it in the palm of your hand.
Notice how quickly the mind wants to do something with it.
To fix it,
Solve it,
Get rid of it.
And this impulse is almost automatic.
The problem appears.
Solution hunting begins.
This is where conflict often begins within us with solution hunting.
Notice what that search for a solution feels like in the body.
Tightness,
A sense of urgency,
Pressure,
Erratic thoughts.
And often the mind treats every problem as if it must be solved right now.
As if not knowing what to do is a failure.
But notice something important.
Not all problems have immediate solutions.
Some have no visible solution at all.
For a few moments see what happens when the mind encounters that fact.
Usually a second struggle appears.
The fight against not knowing.
The refusal to stay with uncertainty.
This is where the suffering multiplies.
The original problem may be difficult.
But the constant effort to force a solution often becomes more exhausting than the problem itself.
In other words,
We make a problem out of a problem.
So when you're faced with this tension,
This desire to solve something,
Instead stay close to your direct experience,
Not the story about it.
And ask yourself,
Very simply,
Without answering it verbally,
What is actually happening right now?
In doing so,
Often we discover that the problem we are wrestling with mostly exists in the future.
Projected conversations,
Imagined outcomes,
Predicted failures.
Notice if your mind is living ten steps ahead,
Trying to outrun discomfort.
And when you do notice this,
Gently bring attention back to what is here.
The body,
The breath,
Sensation.
Bring to mind your problem once again.
And ask yourself,
Right now,
In this moment,
What is actually required?
Very often it's nothing.
And the mind is cheeky.
It says,
If I stop chasing a solution and being passive,
If I don't think this through,
I'll miss my chance.
See these for what they are.
Thoughts,
Not instructions.
Because there is a difference between intelligent and compulsive problem solving.
Intelligence responds when something needs responding to.
Whereas compulsion reacts because it cannot tolerate uncertainty.
You are not being asked to give up on solutions.
You are being invited to stop hunting for them prematurely.
Many solutions reveal themselves only when conditions are right.
Not when they are forced.
Not when they are hunted down in panic.
So for now,
See if you can rest with not knowing,
As an experience.
Let the problem be here,
Without turning it into something that reaches ahead or clings behind.
And if thoughts pull you back into planning or fixing,
Gently return to the body.
To what is actually present.
What is real.
Now let's stay here for a few breaths more.
With things exactly as they are.
And when you are ready,
Notice the space around you.
The sounds.
Any light.
Feel the space your body occupies in this world.
And remember you are not required to solve anything right now.
This moment is enough.
Thank you for listening.
If you enjoyed this meditation,
There's plenty more.
So feel free to give me a follow.
Until next time,
Stay present.
