Observing the hive

I've just started reading Mark L. Wisnton's book "Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive." I'm enjoying thinking about the lessons; one of which came to me this week. Being present and observing. After many years of practicing Shambhala Buddhism, one would think that this lesson comes regularly and easy. However, I forget. I've been watching the girls this week. In fact, on Saturday, I was able to sit and watch them for 30-45 min stretches at a time. I watched them.

Observing was something I was able to also do this week at work. I watched my own reactions to things I disagreed with or things that would have been unsettling to me. It is a powerful thing to watch others and watch yourself as you interact. However, it takes practice to watch for your patterns in how you react to things.