Take 'er easy

[PriorRestraint]

Reading through the forum it looks like 'abide' has been pretty well analyzed -- what it means, how it's used in TBL, how to abide in our lives.

On the face of it, "take it easy" seems much simpler. Hell, my dad - a true dude in his own right - must've said goodbye with that phrase to me a million times and I know what he meant every time. But when you think about it a bit deeper, philosophically/psychologically, there's a lot there to make clearer, especially if it's a cornerstone of the religion.

I've got some thoughts, and I'm tapping them out slowly on my commute into my job as a shrink, where I try to help people, yes, take it easy.

But I thought I'd open this thread to see how others think about this idea, which is pretty much the only prescription in the whole shebang.

[Primo]

sure Dude.

The dude abides means that he complies with taking it easy.
no further meaning to analyse.

take'er easy

[PriorRestraint]

sure Dude.

The dude abides means that he complies with taking it easy.
no further meaning to analyse.

take'er easy

Thanks, Primo! I get that digging too deep risks getting uptight over an idea/attitude that's highly allergic to it, but then again, that's one purpose of this forum, right? To dig deeper into what at first glance seems straightforward, with hopes of advancing the religion some?

You can't get one sentence into talking about Dudeism without mentioning "taking it easy," and this is a universal idea and contrast to being an uptight asshole, but what else is it? Like anything else worth pondering it gets more and more interesting and rewarding the more you think it through. We've done this with "abide" so I thought some of this crew would take the bait and run with this.

[cckeiser]

sure Dude.

The dude abides means that he complies with taking it easy.
no further meaning to analyse.

take'er easy

Thanks, Primo! I get that digging too deep risks getting uptight over an idea/attitude that's highly allergic to it, but then again, that's one purpose of this forum, right? To dig deeper into what at first glance seems straightforward, with hopes of advancing the religion some?

You can't get one sentence into talking about Dudeism without mentioning "taking it easy," and this is a universal idea and contrast to being an uptight asshole, but what else is it? Like anything else worth pondering it gets more and more interesting and rewarding the more you think it through. We've done this with "abide" so I thought some of this crew would take the bait and run with this.

reading this "Semantics" pops to mind...you know...all that baggage that comes with words and how relationship with those words.
"Take er Easy" and "Just like take er Easy Man" carry different baggage. We each  will feel them according to our own past association with them.
I believe here on the Dude forum....and with Dudeism/Abideism we all are perceiving/grasping  much  the same essence/feeling for the whole phrase.
It's what we are all about. The Tao/Taoism may have a bit of a different feeling "just like take it easy man." Still thinking on that one....but...shit I'm rambling...on my second 2 cup mug of coffee and have lost my train of thought!
You know what I'm getting at!
I

[mrmadman]

See, that's what made CC such a stand-up dude, dudes. He's like the rug, just like pullin' it all together, man.
oops - got somethin' in my eye there.

Abidin'
MADman

[DigitalBuddha]

See, that's what made CC such a stand-up dude, dudes. He's like the rug, just like pullin' it all together, man.
oops - got somethin' in my eye there.

Abidin'
MADman

Fuckin' eh, he was a real dude for sure. 

[jgiffin]

I've recently been having some issues "staying in the now," feeling stressed for no reason, and can't get out of my own head.  While I didn't necessarily want to start an entirely new thread about it, I wondered if you dudes have dealt with that and, if so, how. It's not like there's a sword of Damocles hanging over my head or anything. Shit's pretty cool. Long weekend with Labor Day. No real shenanigans at work. Wife seems pretty monogy...monogymo...I don't think she's fucking around on me.

What's your go-to move for getting shit centered? And, before you say it, no, drinking didn't work.

[Laughing Dude]

Well Taoist breathing has been working for me, along with cultivating the sorta No Mind they talk about in Zen: Whatever happens refuse to label it as good or bad; when a desire or repulsion arises let go of it. Taking that anxiety and releasing it with breath exercises has done wonders.

That last one does not work when drinking. But overall they seem to work for me. Lookin in to Tai Chi as well.

[Ynot Dude]

My go to move to recenter myself is a long motorcycle ride with no cell phone, destination or plan. Just ride and abide.
Always abiding.

[The_Sleevez]

I have found nature walks and photography help me a great deal. Try to show what your seeing in a picture it focuses me on the moment and when you get a good one print it off hang it on your wall. I find it brings a bit of that peace home. Meditation in the shower with the lights off ( sounds weird I know) is almost a sensory deprivation you can't hear outside noises nothing distracting your eyes and water has a cleansing sensation maybe that's just me getting all hippy I dunno. Also yes motorcycle rides and sometimes go do something completly out of character and random go skinny dipping or play with the kids toys at the mall something totally foolish let the kid out to play it's freeing . Hell take the wife out and have sex in the backseat of the car somewhere like you did in high school. We all have a longing for that freedom remind yourself that the huge weight of the world on your shoulders as an adult is really not that important.

[The_Sleevez]

Another idea get a couple nerf guns you can't take anything seriously while trying to unleash the fury of a nerf gun on someone.