A person can stand just about anything for 10 seconds. Kimmy Schmidt.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was a sitcom that aired on Netflix from 2015-2019. The series follows 29-year-old Kimmy Schmidt as she adjusts to life after being rescued from a crazy religious cult.
After escaping from the cult, Kimmy moves to New York and… okay… I’ve never actually seen any of the episodes so I’m gonna have to rely on Wikipedia here… “Armed with only unflagging optimism, a childlike sense of wonder and an eighth-grade education, she attempts to regain the life that was taken from her and navigate her way through the unfamiliar struggles of New York life.”
When I came upon a clip from the series a few days ago, I was struck by how Buddhist Kimmy’s “10-second” advice was. A person can do anything for 10 seconds, and when that 10 seconds is done, you just start a new 10 seconds.
This is basically what you’re taught when you first start meditating!
Here’s the clip… Bing Videos
I know that Buddhist meditation seems like it should be a lot more complicated than that, but honestly, that’s where you begin. 10 breaths at a time.
The point of all this “10 seconds at a time” stuff is that thru meditation, you’re training your mind to be in the present moment. You know…mindfulness.
Mindfulness…it’s all the rage lately. There are hundreds of books, podcasts, and webinars that will introduce you to the concept. Mindfulness for stress reduction, mindfulness for improved work or sports performance. Heck…the US military has even used mindfulness training to improve rifle marksmanship. BTW…I doubt there’s anything less Buddhist than using mindfulness to improve your ability to kill people. It feels like I shouldn’t have to point this out.
Mindfulness has become so mainstream…aka monetized…that there’s even a book about it. McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality.
But being mindful is so much more than just paying attention to what you’re doing right now, and it’s even more than directing your mind away from painful memories and worries about the future.
Mindfulness allows you to see that your mind…if left to its own tendencies…often leads you to narrow and fearful places that stifle the traits that Buddhist practice looks to develop…lovingkindness, compassion, a joyful spirit and a sense of equanimity.
Kimmy’s 10-second rule is also a great reminder about the Buddhist idea that everything…no matter how great or awful…is fleeting. If you don’t like the present 10 seconds a new 10 seconds is just a few seconds away!
Here’s a great book if you want to learn the basics of mindfulness meditation… How to Sit. At just 120 pages, it’s a very simple introduction to Zen Buddhist meditation. Amazon.com: How to Sit (Mindfulness Essentials): 9781937006587: Nhat Hanh, Thich: Books
Funny...You Don't Look Buddhist 