The Dalai Lama says the key to happiness is to care about others.
I’m going to risk sounding a little nutty and tell you a story.
Last fall I was chosen for Jury duty.
On a murder case.
I’ve never been on jury duty, certainly not a murder case.
I don’t even like to watch violence on TV.
I was freaking out.
So, I went to the jury selection.
Of course, I didn’t want to get picked but I had a feeling I would be.
After only half a day I went home with a headache, exhausted and totally overwhelmed.
That night they called and sure enough, I was selected.
OMG.
“What am I going to do? I don’t think I can survive this! How do I get out of this?”
These were some of the thoughts swirling through my head as I was crying, freaking out and
dreading the next however long the trial took.
Jury duty is the one thing you can’t get out of.
It’s our civic duty for crying out loud!
The next day I woke up resigned to the fact that I was going to be a juror on this murder trial.
As I was driving to the courthouse I remembered a practice that I used to do when I was a Physical Therapist working in a nursing home as I drove to work.
I would systematically wish everyone in the building well.
“May the patients feel well. May the nurses, CNA’s, rehab team and administrators have a good day. May the patient’s families find peace. Etc…”
(Honestly, I did this because it made my day better. The Dalai Lama calls this “wise selfishness.”)
So, I tried it as I drove to the courthouse.
I wished everyone well from the judge to the lawyers, the jurors, the families of the victims and even the defendant.
Then I walked into the courthouse feeling nervous but much more peaceful.
And then guess what happened?
The judge came out to the hallway where the jurors were waiting to tell us that the trial had been postponed.
I was relieved of jury duty.
I could go home.
And not come back.
Was that a coincidence? Probably… but maybe not?
Again, from watching the documentary “Stutz” I learned a new way to practice compassion for others. One that has a somatic component.
Stutz says to Jonah Hill, “shut the #?*! up and do what I tell you. Don’t prejudge. Just try it and see what happens.”
It’s different but really powerful.
1. Imagine you are surrounded by a universe completely made of love, that is dense with loving energy.
2. Feel yourself taking in all the love in the universe and place it in your heart.
3. Now you are the principal leader of love in the universe. Take a moment to really feel what that might feel like.
4. See a person you’re really angry at (or Stutz says that you hate or despise.)
5. Send all the love you’ve concentrated toward that person. Give them everything.
6. Feel your love enter the other person’s body.
7. For a brief moment you become one with each other.
8. Realize if I can be one with this “bastard” (Stutz’s word) then I can become one with anyone.
Phil Stutz says this exercise will make you feel whole and free to move forward in your life.
I say this might create some crazy “magic.”
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