Bartending As Daoism

Bartending as Daoism

So one of my day jobs is that I work as a bartender for a nice local wine and beer lounge in the city. I had to miss last week's shift because of a meeting I had to attend, and coming back today I felt incredibly clumsy and awkward from just that little break.

But as I got back into the swing of things, I found myself floating through the bar almost instinctively. My hands knew where all the bottles were, how we were doing on snacks, how often to check on patrons, and so on. It was pretty busy for a Sunday night, but somewhere during the shift I came to the realization that bartending is a rather perfect example of Daoism in action. It requires a pretty focused mindfulness of the present moment as the bar fills up. You can't plan too far ahead and you can't focus much on past mistakes. You've got to keep your attention on the patrons you have in front of you, and making sure they're happy at that exact moment. The "now" moment is constantly there, and without proper training or perspective, it can be pretty overwhelming to deal with everything. But with the right mindset and practice, I felt like I was just able to move and flow with everyone in the bar at the same time. Making sure drinks are going there, bills are going here, glasses ready to be dried, tables to be cleaned, on and on there's always something to do. And with a sort of effortless effort (I can speak in paradoxes too!), you're able to just surrender yourself to the moment and keep the pace.

I have a feeling at least a few of you also have had this sort of experience with your own work. I think it's a mistake when people call this sort of thing "mindless," as anything that requires your hands to move or your brain to function must involve your mind being active on some level. Feel free to submit your own stories about being within the present moment at work, I'm sure we could all learn from each other's experiences. 

The journey of a thousand miles, single step, you all should know that one by now.

Always mind your mind.

Nice compilation!

So much happens on your Dashboard that you end up missing so many great articles. So I decided to compile a list of blogs in Z-A order (A-Z for the articles) to help you guys out! If you reblog this, please reblog as a Text so your followers can see the entire post. Thank you.

The Non-Dualist

Brand Consciousness

For those interested in learning more about Buddhism

Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

Religious Education

Service as Part of Your LifeStyle

Stochastic Life

On the East vs. West: Perceived Differences

On Meditation

On Karma and Psychology

Practical Compassion

Ritualism and Buddhism

Samsaranmusing

Comfort for the Living and Comfort for the Dying

Hate is not a Softdrink

Instant Karma

Meditation is not just sitting quietly

Spiritual Teachers and the Western Cult of Celebrity

E-Sangha

Aging and Death

Anxiety Due to Clinging

Change is Constant

Gathas for your Daily Life

How can we stay excited about our practice?

Daoism Discussions

Defining the Dao

Four Agreements

The Mystery of the Cross

Thoughts on Opposites

Thoughts on Tragedy

Buddhazen101: 

A Mini Lesson On Pain

Dark Knight Zen

Why Incense?

Why I, Or Anyone Else, Can’t Make You Happy

Zen Buddhism, Martial Arts, and Non-Attachment 

always relevant.

Before committing a great deal of time, money, or energy to solving a problem, it is wise to look for the true problem you are trying to solve. We must always seek to look past illusions, after all.

Heh.