It’s Thursday evening, my favorite time of the week (except for a few occasional fun weekends). I am sitting in the theater classroom, energized and excited, wondering what exercise we will be doing this evening. It’s been over two months that I am at the ‘classic actor’ program, and I am enjoying every minute of it! Currently we are learning ‘character development’ with Gabrielle, a young but experienced actor/teacher from New York.

Gab (what students call him, which he is not very fond of) is a funny guy; he would ask a question in different forms until the student being asked runs out of words for answer. For example, when somebody describes acting as fun, he would ask what fun means. The person answers–fun means having a good time, and Gab asks–what does it feel like to have a good time?  The question goes on. What we have learned from him (in just two classes), is that emotion/feeling is a  personal experience. We all give it meaning through our perception, upbringing and past encounters.

The exercise of this evening is to act out a quality of human character. Lust, aggression, loyalty, generosity are examples that students gave to Gab, and my example is innocence. The challenge for us is to sit in the middle of the classroom, one-by-one, and develop the quality of character while remaining contact with  other students.

It’s my turn, and I choose to experience innocence through connections with everybody else. As if this word has been long forgotten,  it soon aroused interest of everybody. What does innocence mean? What does it feel like to be innocent?

To me, innocence means being fully present at the moment, seeing the world as it is with no-judgment and no labeling. The other manifestation is being true to yourself, meaning at peace and acceptance with what comes out from your heart.

I started looking at each person from one side of the room. In the beginning, it’s very difficult not to judge, and I try to focus on a physical form instead of the person’s face (which links to assumptions we make about the person), like the color of their shoes, their hair style, etc. Even like that, words such as “cute”, “good taste”, “cold personality” came up in thought form.  This seems to be more difficult than I thought.

As I move on, I decide to look at the face of my classmates, as opposed to avoiding it. Interesting things happened. I am greatly drawn to their eyes, and feel as if I could see their inner being behind the body. Some are light-hearted; some are nervous/insecure of the tension by eye-contact, and some are carrying humungous emotional burdens.

It’s an amazing learning experience. At the end of day, it’s perhaps most important to me to experience seeing the world from a fresh and unbiased angle, through the eyes of innocent children. It’s also the state of innocence that we could find a peaceful haven from worries and fear.

I will close this post with a song from my favorite musicians, Miten and Deva Premal, ‘Through the eyes of an angel’.  May we see truth in every moment, and may we be free.

Miten with Deva Premal – Through the Eyes of an Angel

As usual, my day went by so fast, but slow at the same time, as I can get bored at work (from repetitive tasks). Maybe it’s just me, who has interest in a million things, and gets bored so easily, after one trial or two. I wonder though, because it seems that everybody around is inherently unhappy about their job (note that we are all employees). That’s why when people meet each other, work is the least thing they talk about. Even for networking, a professor in UBC school of business said, networking is rarely about business, at least not at the first or second meet.

Unfortunately a job takes up most of the day–usually the best part. Everyday we rush to work in the morning, and rush back home in the afternoon (quite often can’t help but wasting time in traffic congestion).  When we thought we have time to do something in the evening, we are usually end up being exhausted and lazy. Life repeats itself: the next day when you feel bored, stressed or frustrated at work, you ask yourself how you can put it up for so long.  When you close your eyes, are you seeing a bright picture in which you are repeating the same tasks, while exuberating joy and love. How about  in 10-year, or 30-year timeframe?

I can’t. The image dreads me. And I know I was not born to do market research (my current field), although I am very good at it. But what is it that I am called to pursue? what’s my path? While it takes some time to find out, I decide to practice peace at work and in everyday life, instead of bitching and complaining about it.

After a short while, I have noticed two things:

1) Work isn’t as stressful as before. Although I have deadlines to meet, projects to manage, clients to talk to, whole day everyday, I feel less exhausted than weeks ago. My peace has protected my energy from being drained by various objects.

2) The best way to practice peace is to be fully present in the Now and Here. This allows you to see things objectively, and at the same time to be more collected with everything else (at the energetic level).  I become delighted at seeing flowers, trees, bees, water waves… Every moment is new and fresh; I forget what it feels like to be bored.

If you are like me who is not content with what I repeat everyday, but don’t know the options, start from practicing peace from within. Opportunities will come at the best moment, but only when you can recognize it in a clear and peaceful mind.