Don’t Say It

12 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Needle In A HaystackIt’s been one of those Mondays again. Indications appeared over the weekend, warning texts being delivered at all times of day and night, harbingers of IT doom. Not that any of the sites were really down in the technical sense, but they were dragging their little feet when trying to load.

So today, Dan and Andy have been digging through log files and reams of code, trying to identify the piece, or pieces of software that are guilty of causing the malaise, while I have been emailing and talking to clients about why they can’t purchase their latest catalogue, new pair of tweezers, or much sought after stamp.

If truth be told, the whole project of cleaning up the background processes is rather overdue. But as with many things in life, it has never seemed the right time to do it. Sadly, again as with so many things in life, the longer you put off the inevitable, the worse the task becomes when you finally bite the bullet.

Now, after all this effort, it would be nice to think that we have fixed the issues, learned from our mistakes, and that we can create a new smoother build that will rid us of these problems, but I fear that might be an over optimistic view to take.

When Reality Bites

09 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

When Reality BitesAfter a wonderfully restful, not to say enjoyable week away, it was time to return to the coal face and get back to reality. But with fully recharged batteries, the usual Monday morning drive wasn’t so bad after all. The weather was kind, the traffic was light and the chanting along the way, more than effective.

Getting back behind my PC was not the trial it might have been, the team had done a good job of minding the shop, and the usual pile of emails was not as high as it might have been. I was straight out of holiday mood and had my business head on.

Routine, at work, in life in general and as my practice gives me a solid structure with which to take on the challenges that life presents. Whether that is something as trivial as getting over the first day back at work after a holiday, or some of the more important problems, my practice helps turn the poison into medicine.

Mondays – An Apology

11 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Fly Like An EagleI think, if you take a look back over the last few weeks and months, I’ve been a bit dismissive of the value of the first working day of the week. Well I’ve had a hard look at myself in the last couple of weeks and I think I owe them an apology.

To start with, it’s not their fault that they follow the weekend. Their name means Moon Day in Old English and I’m sure they wouldn’t have chosen to start the week. But with my rediscovered self-awareness I can honestly say that I was being unfair and trying to lay the blame for my failings at their door.

So having had a particularly productive day, and also been back in team mode, I can see that Mondays are no different to any other day of the working week and I apologise to them, unreservedly. It’s easy to see the mistake in hindsight, and is actually a good measure of progress towards enlightenment, or lack of it.

If you, like I, were feeling that Monday had got it in for you, or that the weekend was taking an eternity to arrive, it’s time to take a long hard look at yourself. It’s easy to blame others for the challenges we face, it’s much more difficult to accept that the blame is our own. But having done so, you have the freedom to break free from the self imposed restrictions and fly like an eagle once again.

The M Word

23 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Time After TimeUrgh !!! Monday morning, five o’clock, and the alarm on my mobile is insisting that it’s time to get up, pack, and set off back to Ringwood. I’m not going to say it again, but each time is just a little more painful than the last.

The rain only made the drive less pleasant, not that it’s a difficult trip, but it’s nice to see the countryside when it’s bathed in early morning sunshine rather than the drizzle that followed me all the way to Hampshire.

The day went well, eased along by the mirth and banter in the office. Having a couple of hours to chant always helps too, particularly when, I have to admit, I had been rather lax in that department this weekend.

Lots of issues and tasks later, I was feeling like I had put in a good shift. A couple of useful and rather friendly customer phone calls also helped the day fly by. So by the time I got back home, for the first time in nearly four days, there were the usual chores to be done as well as sorting out my evening meal.

So now I’m back in the groove, fed, watered and sorted, well sort of. So I’m going to do Gongyo, raise my life-state and then get a good night’s sleep, ready to start all over again tomorrow. At least the trip to the office will only take thirty minutes in the morning, I hope.

More Monday Mayhem

19 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Monday MayhemBy now you might be getting the idea that I really don’t like Mondays. It’s always minor mayhem in the office, lots of emails to answer, tons of orders to process, but it’s always been like that. I can deal with the work, as I’ve said before, it’s far better than no work, so I live with it.

What really makes it harder is having to leave Bumble back in Bristol. After having a fun weekend together, it’s no fun driving down the A36 at 6:00 in the morning, particularly when the car is telling me it’s -2°C outside. But needs must and I get to the office just before 8:30, despite having to follow a monster agricultural contraption for miles.

The day flies by, helped along by an unexpected call from B, just checking that I’m not in some ditch somewhere. Lunchtime comes and goes and still the email mountain sits looking at me, but slowly and surely I work my way through it, the process punctuated by a number of customer phone calls. I leave around 5:20, with the boss still hard at it.

I’m tired, and the flat can be a bit quiet, but then the phone rings. It’s B, and we have a nice chat about the day and the events of the weekend. The evening is taken up with the mundane things in life, washing, cleaning, all the things that get neglected whilst I’m in Bristol. Another chat with B, as she snuggles down for the night, then a quick call to my mom to make sure she’s ok, and Monday’s done. Tomorrow will be a lot easier, but I must stop wishing my Mondays away, I’m off to chant, that’ll fix it.