I’ve found that, as I pay more attention to the present moment, the question of “Why?” has become less important.
Why is the sky blue? Why does this flourless chocolate cake taste so good? They can be helpful questions to explore and many such questions have probably launched whole lifetimes of discovery.
But for me, now, I find that I’d rather explore:
What does this cake taste like?
What am I experiencing, right now, as I eat it?
How am I with the cake?
Am I really paying attention? Or am I busy trying to figure out the recipe? Or the neural pathways that connect tongue to the idea of “yumm” in the brain?
I’d rather be with what and how.
Were it the last thing I do to on earth, I’d be so much more grateful for having tasted the cake, than thought about it.
What and how win over why.
PRACTICE: The next time you pick up a piece of food: Look at it. Feel it. Smell it. Maybe even listen to it. Then put it in your mouth and actually taste it before chewing. This is mindful eating. Notice how differently you feel after just eating one bite, compared to other times you’ve eaten and not paid much attention. Focusing on what and how can change our experience of life. But don’t take my word for it – eat for yourself.