Can you wait a minute?

Modern life is a life on the go, fueling us with a constant need to get things done. It’s as if we each have an internal motor that is always running. But every now and then, something interrupts this motor—for example, a checkout line, a doctor’s office, or a red light. These interruptions discomfort us so much that we immediately start looking for a way to restart the motor, even if it is just by mindlessly playing games, watching a video, or wallowing in the negativity of being inconvenienced.

We have become so accustomed to our motor that we no longer hear it. Gurdjieff used the expression “waking sleep” to describe our unawareness of this motor and its impulses. The aim of the Gurdjieff teaching is to help us awaken from this sleep, so that we can experience life more fully. 

Surprisingly, the key to our awakening is right in front of us. The moment our motor is interrupted is a moment of awakening. Without the motor running, we are no longer distracted by our goals and ambitions. Our inner mechanicality becomes visible. We see how we continually judge ourselves and others. We see the façade we show to the world. There is a sense of “waking up.” But only for a moment.

The goal, then, is to expand these moments of awareness. When we are interrupted, we can simply wait, paying attention to what is happening around us and inside us. This way of waiting is not a waiting for something, but a willingness to experience the present moment without any agenda.

We are unaccustomed to this form of waiting, and so it is deceptively difficult. We need to cultivate an attitude of patience. To avoid daydreams and other distractions, we also need a grounded connection to the world, which is only possible through bodily sensation.

Let’s talk about these ideas, their possibilities, and how they can lead to a practical set of efforts and exercises.

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