Ever tried to continuously remain aware of something that happens at its own pace, and in its own nature?

Just this Sunday, April 7, 2019, I watched 31 children take time out of their summer break to be aware of their breath—in its own nature—without meddling, altering, and controlling. For four hours (with short, intermittent breaks) they sat and they tried to do what few adults attempt. They “unselfed” effort.

In this “unselfing” is when conceit, anxiety, and worry start to relax their grip on the mind.

When we are not trying to meddle with something, there is no conceit. When we are not trying to alter the way it occurs, there is little to be anxious about. When we are not trying to control the outcome, and are focused only on our actions, worry has no cause to visit. (They move together, and when one ceases to exist, the other two disappear).

Consider our attitude towards climate change: If we, the people, focused only on our actions then worry would disappear. Without worry and a constant concern for outcomes, we would reduce dread and strife, and would stop meddling with nature. The less we meddle, the more likely we are to live as part of a larger ecosystem, instead of as self-appointed guardians of the natural order—Stepping outside the glass house.

The war cry lead by conceit, anxiety, and worry might become a symphony conducted by care, respect, and inclusiveness. It needs a small shift, the shift in our focus, that’s where we went wrong the first time around.