Charlotte Selver loves to remind her students that "Every moment is a moment". There is something liberating about this statement. Every moment is new and unprecedented. It is filled with possibilities.
Feel this as you are walking. Each step can be invigorated with a sense of newness. Can you be surprised by the taste of an orange or a sip of tea? Can you make spaghetti sauce as if it were the first time, although you've made it a thousand times before?
One of my favorite Zen stories is about a man who was chased by a ferocious tiger. The man ran to the edge of a cliff where he grabbed hold of a vine and swung himself over the side. Still hanging from the vine, he breathed a deep sigh of relief, thinking he was saved.
But looking up, he saw the tiger waiting for him. Looking down into the ravine below, he saw another tiger waiting for him. He looked around and saw two tiny mice begin to chew away at the vine.
Growing on the side of the cliff next to him was a beautiful ripe strawberry. He could smell its fragrance. It looked like a jewel glinting in the sunshine. Reaching out, he gently picked it and took a small bite, savoring its essence. How sweet it tasted!
What freedom this story conveys! Although the man is in a terrible situation, he is undaunted. Glimmering in front of him is a strawberry, and he eats it as if he had no other care in the world.
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