There's a related quote that's often attributed to Einstein, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Rita Mae Brown is probably the first person to say this however.
Whoever said it, this second quote is just as wise and powerful as the first. And just as ironic.
Life's great trick is getting on the OTHER side of these two quotes. Anytime we find ourselves in Groundhog Day scenarios, we just need to remember that the situation won't change until we do. If it's true that we reap what we sow (and it usual is) we gotta start experimenting with new seeds!
Below is the lectio we used yesterday morning at St. David's in our Mindfulness group. It represents a kind of pre-Groundhog Day training we can work with so that the next time we get stuck in Punxsutawney PA we know how to begin navigating our way out.
(This is a followup to RAIN work--if you're not familiar with it, you can read more about it here.)
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RAIN:
Recognition/Acceptance/Investigation/Non-Identification is a handy acronym for
mindful practice. Each step (Recognition, Acceptance, Investigation,
Non-Identification) is progressive, helpful, and the order makes sense. At the
same time, remembering not to identify at every step keeps us from being swept
up into old patterns of thoughts or feelings at every step.
When we’re working with our own sticky stuff it’s necessary
to remember and remember and remember not to identify with it. Our strong
reactions and feelings come with convincing narratives—at least they’re
convincing to us. Long rehearsed and rehashed narratives and familiar feelings
feed off one another, energizing a loop. This is what being stuck is.
Our most familiar narratives each came into being at a
certain time in the past. Certain things, perhaps ‘powerful stuff,’ happened.
Presumptions were believed. Conclusions were reached that we’ve been inclined
to accept as true ever since. We’ve identified with our stories so long that
their truth seems self-evident. And as long as we take them as self-evident,
investigation, etc., seems pointless. We can’t attend to these stories unless
we suspend our belief in them. Part of mindfulness is the practice of
suspending old beliefs so we can get to fresh levels of consciousness which
allow us to see old problems in fresh ways.
