Last Friday, I picked up Ody all outfitted with the electrical gear and got down to work. In just a week, I fully insulated, framed and put up the wall and ceiling paneling. I woke up early before work, squeezed in hours between phone calls, and spent my afternoons laboring away. Each day presented a new challenge. By 6pm, I typically found myself staring at something I couldn’t figure out or get quite right. I’d call it a day, shower off the paint and saw dust, eat dinner, and spend the evening doing research, watching videos and tutorials, trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. In the morning, I’d go at it again. Refreshed and with a better attitude, what seemed impossible the day before, suddenly wasn’t that hard. With every step of progress forward, I’m faced with another challenge, a task I’ve never done before, and new things to figure out.
In Buddhism, there is a term “Shoshin” or “beginner’s mind” used to describe the mindset of a true beginner. With a beginner’s mind, one should be free of preconceptions of how things work, free of expectations for what will happen, filled with curiosity, and open to a world of possibilities. By cultivating a beginner’s mind, you are given the opportunity to see the world around you with fresh eyes.
One of my favorite parts of the building process has been the 5-year-old-like excitement I get after figuring something out. But, you don’t need to have just discovered how to cut the perfect hole with a circular saw or put up ceiling panels to feel that rush of “I’m about to pee my pants” giddiness. While I am truly a beginner at the tasks at hand, the beginner’s mindset can be applied to anything including aspects of our daily lives we are already familiar and comfortable with. Being able to see thing anew brings fresh perspective to old sights, and opens up a world of intrigue and possibility in every day.
Check out this week’s YouTube video for a behind the scenes look at the work I did:
ABLAZ 