Wake up and meditate or meditate and wake up?

The Dalai Lama has a morning routine which I read about some time ago.  Before he gets up he tries to realize his place in the world, that he is a very fortunate being that as a human existing in the wheel of Samsara has so much opportunity to choose his day.  Then he does not choose what he will be doing but how he will do it, what his intention is, his attitude for the day's activities.

 “Every day as you wake up, think that I am fortunate to be alive. I have a precious human life, and I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand myself out to others; to achieve enlightenment for all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”

– His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

(https://www.goalcast.com/3-lessons-dalai-lamas-morning-routine/)

I was in the throws of running my own business where my business partner and at the time wife had simply stepped back from it all.  I was going through a divorce and was pretty depressed and stressed.  My whole existence suffered for it.  I started looking up motivational stuff on YouTube and that about saved me.  I would watch them every morning, and let them play in the background as I had breakfast.  My meditation classes expanded to include 'Monday Morning Motivation Meditation' where I would read a few inspiring highlights I had found earlier.  

This made me focus on motivation.  Not only for myself but to help others too.  I wanted to have a meaningful and useful meditation practice that went beyond the 'regular' just sit and wait meditations.   I started looking for specific topics to address what some of the members of my class had mentioned, even in passing.   Sometimes no one showed up and that was just fine.  I did them myself and it made a HUGE difference.  I focused on what I could do rather than what I could not do.  I focused on building a future rather than getting to the future.  

In my 'day job' I am a chiropractor and acupuncturist.  One of the most profound things I have learned and done is to make sure that every interaction with a patient has an intention.  Sometimes it is simply to relax them, sometimes to address a pressing health issue, sometimes it is education or even motivation to help them understand themselves and be proactive in their health, mentally, physically and chemically...

I have run my meditation classes along with Dharma teachings/study and motivational Mondays for over ten years now.  At some point it became a question.  People often wish to learn meditation in order to 'wake up' to become awakened. etc.  But what about before we are awake we decide how we are going to proceed towards that?

I am sure many of us have heard the story of the 86,400 dollars you get every day to spend how you wish, each dollar just a second on the clock.  You really DO get to decide how each one is spent.  But it is so much easier when you budget correctly.  If you set your intention, which is basically a direction of the mind, then we are focused on where we are and where we are going.  Purposefully.  Intentionally...

This morning as I lay in bed, getting ready to convince myself to get up, I remembered all that and did it.  I set an intention not it just get to work and pay the bills, but to be present to what my 'people' need and offer that.  Sometimes it may be interpretation of a medical file or question, advice on what to do next for their health concern, some TLC, a little time to be away and have someone take care of them WITH them.   It may seem hokey, but it is as real and true as anything I know.  I have been doing this work for over two decades and have tried to keep it my focus.  Sometimes I waver and lose focus of the horizon, the goal of caring for people and teaching them to tune in and care for their minds, bodies and processes.  

Take the time to look up the good, watch it.  Think about it, share it.

Take time...

When you realize that you are holding the rudder and can open or close the sail...