8 months after trying out another gym, I went back to my old gym recently. And I saw a familiar-looking guy, who used to be overweight and flabby.
But now, he seemed quite fit — most of his excess weight, including a prominent double chin, was totally gone! The transformation was dramatic.
Yet, had I been seeing him daily, I would have likely not noticed any change.
Any real, deep change is like that — very, very gradual.
In his book “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind,” Suzuki Roshi says that when you run through a mist, you don’t get wet very quickly. But gradually, as you get wet, you get very, very wet.
While Roshi was talking about how meditation changes you very gradually, every meaningful change is like that.
The slower the change, the deeper it will penetrate your marrow.
If you are seeking to meaningfully transform your life, be prepared to run through a mist.
Be patient. Give it time. The wetness will come slowly. But once it sinks in, it will be very deep, unlike the hacks and shortcuts, that vanish faster than they come.
– Rajan