On my walk back from shipping a package, I decided to meditate on a large meadow near our house. It was already past 8 PM, and with only a few small groups chatting here and there, it was quiet. I leaned against a tree, closed my eyes, and began.
A few minutes into the session, I heard a thud and then a poorly inflated soccer ball rolling past me not far away. “Uh-oh,” I thought. Two boys must have showed up and started playing nearby. Another thud, another rubber sound, another ball rolling by. “There’s a real chance they’ll hit me,” my mind said.
For the next few kicks, I felt uneasy. With every “thump,” I wanted to duck. But I didn’t. I kept my eyes closed and kept meditating. Eventually, I realized: “Actually, this is a great opportunity to practice letting go.” Yes, the ball could hit me, but that’s the kind of risk you take when you meditate in public, isn’t it? It didn’t end up being my best session, but I did appreciate the sounds of soccer more thereafter.
Ultimately, it was a good exercise—and an even better metaphor for life: Yes, the ball might hit you, but that’s no reason not to show up, plant your flag, and defend your hill. Accept the problems flying your way, and, more than anything else, you’ll find plenty of evidence that most will never end up in your face.
