Are You Using the Tools You Already Have?

So often we have the tools we need around us, but we choose not to use them. — paraphrased from a quote by Stephanie Paolino

This morning I heard a story that some of you may have heard before. There is a man in his house and a flood is coming. He is told to leave his house, but he refuses, saying that God will save him. The waters rise and rescuers come in a boat, but he still refuses to leave saying that God will save him. The waters continue to rise and a helicopter comes to rescue him. He refuses to leave, his faith in God so strong that he is convinced God will save him. The waters continue to rise and he dies in the flood. When he meets God, he angrily asks God why God didn’t save him when his faith was so strong. God responds by saying something like, “I tried to save you. I sent those who told you to leave, then I sent a boat, and then I sent a helicopter. You refused to accept my help.”

Let’s think about this story for a moment. The man is so focused on someone else saving him that he does not use the tools he has to save himself. Or, the man is so convinced he knows the “right” way to be saved that he focuses solely on that one way and refuses to consider alternatives. Or, he is so set in his own perceptions and beliefs that he does not recognize that what he is asking for is actually right in front of him.

Have you ever been that man? I know I have. I have focused on others and given them the responsibility to “save” me: to make me happy and fulfilled, to take care of me, to meet my needs for me. I have been so convinced that I am “right” I’ve ignored alternative viewpoints and missed opportunities. I’ve been so sure of my own faulty perceptions and beliefs that I’ve failed to recognize that I already have what I need. I’ve suffered because I’ve chosen not to use the tools I have in this moment, focusing instead on what I think I should have in the future.

There is a concept in mindfulness called the “beginner’s mind.” When we adopt a beginner’s mind, we approach the world as if we don’t know anything—with curiosity, without expectations, without preconceived ideas, and completely open to possibility. Had the man in the story approached his situation with a bit more beginner’s mind, he may have realized that God was trying to save him because he would have been open to the possibilities, curious about other ways to view his situation, and without his preconceived ideas and expectations.

Today let’s approach the world with “beginner’s mind.” Let’s be curious, open, less certain that we already have the answers, and let attached to our ideas and expectations. Let’s look around us with fresh eyes and see what we see. We may find we have what we need around us, we just haven’t allowed ourselves to see it yet.