Value of Beginning Again

Justin Smith
2 min readJul 3, 2021
Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

And now, something completely different — A lesson I’ve learned during the tragedy of the pandemic.

At the outset of the pandemic, I set dozens of intentions around “more”. More meditation, more walks, more woodworking, more vegetables, more gardening, even more housework. More, more, more.

What happened when I inevitably fall short? Beginning again becomes paramount. Beginning again surfaces a peculiar ancient psychological resistance. Avoidance, either whispering or roaring — it’s there. Perhaps it’s stronger in some, weaker in others.

My pandemic lesson: RAIN. Recognize, Accept, Investigate, and Nurture (thank you, Tara Brach). It’s a subtle, empowering change vastly different from “powering through”. It frames and gently redirects.

The Second Arrow. Try it for yourself. Think of the last time you missed the mark on a prior intention. What surfaces? For me, it is a drive to do better folded into a large dose of “you suck”. Buddhists call this the second arrow. They are nearly impossible to separate through force. What to do about it?

Recognize “you suck”. Hold that situation in your mind. The first arrow is falling short (I binge-watched TV instead of reading), the second arrow is “you fell short because you suck” (I’m lazy) or “you suck because you fell short” (I’m wasting my life watching TV). Whatever it is, recognize it.

Allow “you suck”. Humans are unique among the animal kingdom in that we fire the second arrow at ourselves. It is an ancient problem. I am not that different, neither are you. Allow it to be there.

Investigate “you suck”. Take a close look at what’s surfacing, with interest, care, and curiosity. Curiosity is so important. Something is present, there is something to learn.

Nurture. It’s no longer about the falling short. It’s about connecting to your humanness, a different way of being in the world, and different way of connecting with others.

Simply begin again (thank you Sam Harris).

I have found this works anywhere — at home, at work, during workouts, everywhere. It’s impossible to do perfectly, but you can always begin again.

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