Thirty Thousand Days

by Gregg Krech

A new year is upon us, or so it seems. It’s time for resolutions --
a contest between will and habit. A time for making plans.
A time for dreaming of what we wish will happen.

The first dream of the year;

I kept it secret,

And smiled to myself.

- Sho-u

For human beings we make the change of years black and white. We
like well defined borders to time and territory. 2007 becomes 2008. One moment, this; next moment, that. How long will it take us to get used to writing
the checks correctly — a contest of attention and habit.

Nature prefers gradual transformation.
Comings and goings are less precise.
The sun sets and leaves a fading residue of daylight behind.

There’s a new calendar on my wall.
The emptiness of the little squares on each page gives me a sense of leisure,
As if the new year has brought a reprieve
from all tasks and appointments.

New Year’s Day;

I do not hate

Those who trample on the snow.

-Yayu

Yayu likes a fresh, glistening carpet of snow, and he is . . .

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The other day I was walking down our driveway which had become icy as a result of sleet, freezing rain, a warm sun, and then cold frigid temperatures. One large segment of the driveway was like a skating rink. Even if you walked very carefully, it was almost impossible to cross the ice without slipping and falling. So I decided to simply go around the ice by walking alongside the driveway where there were still several inches of crusty, hard snow. By going around the ice, I was able to continue my walk without confronting the ice directly.

This is the strategy Morita therapy offers for dealing with the challenging feeling-states we all face from time to time – depression, fear, anxiety, despair, frustration and even anger. We are generally taught that we must . . .