1. The Bird Thought
A thought flits through: “I should be different.”
Look: Did you summon it? Did you choose its timing?
Notice its nature—arriving, staying briefly, flying off again.
Haiku
A thought flits and goes,
wings brush the edge of silence
never summoned, gone.
2. Raw Sensation
A tightness, a pulse, a warmth in the chest.
Before naming it fear or excitement—look.
It’s just sensation. No instruction, no meaning, unless a label (story) binds it.
Haiku
Tightness in the chest,
not fear, not command, just pulse
weather in the flesh.
3. The Sound That Arrives
A car, a bird, a kettle’s whistle.
Did you request them?
Or did sound simply arrive, self-born, dissolving on its own?
Haiku
Whistle of kettle,
appearing without asking
vanishing as well.
4. The Movement
The hand lifts the cup.
Pause. Was there a meeting of minds before it happened?
Or did the movement occur, as the leaf falls, as the wind blows?
Haiku
Hand lifts up the cup,
no meeting before the act
wind moves through the grass.
5. The Pause Between
Notice the gap between thoughts.
It isn’t long. It isn’t dramatic.
But even here—life is present. Whole, unrequested.
Haiku
A thought falls silent.
Gap, brief but brimming with life
nothing missing here.
6. The Double Layer
A thought says, “I’m anxious.”
A second thought says, “I shouldn’t be anxious.”
Which is the problem—the sensation, or the commentary?
Look closely.
Haiku
First thought names the storm.
Second thought condemns the first
which cloud holds the rain?
7. The Tightness as Proof
Chest clenches. Thought declares: “See? It must be true.”
But look: is sensation proof of belief?
Or just the body weathering echoes of past conditioning?
Haiku
Ache beneath the ribs,
mind insists it means it’s true
but ache is just ache.
8. The Crooked Smile
A stranger smiles at you, then looks away.
The mind begins its guessing game: “Do they like me?” “Do they not?”
Look: What is actual? Curved lips. Passing glance.
The rest is imagination.
Haiku
Stranger’s fleeting smile,
mind paints a world of meaning
but lips only curved.
9. The Bananas in the Bag
Recall the heavy bag called “Problems.”
Empty it onto the floor. Each piece—just an event, a circumstance.
Not unbearable, just detail.
Look: was the weight in the bag, or in the concept?
Haiku
Black bag weighs me down,
emptied, it is just bananas
concept was the stone.
10. The Lost Chooser
At a fork in the road—tea or coffee?
Look for the chooser. Search everywhere.
Does a decider appear? Or only the decision, already moving?
Haiku
Coffee or black tea?
No chooser appears at all
still the hand pours tea.
11. The Tightening Before Speech
Notice the body before you reply.
The throat contracts, the chest braces.
Was this commanded? Or just the ancient armor rising, unbidden?
Look: Is there a “you” beneath it?
Haiku
Before words can form,
armor rises of itself
empty shell of fear.
12. The Burnt Toast
Smell the charred bread.
The mind leaps to metaphor. “This is a lesson, this is a sign.”
But look: is it? Or is it just toast—burning, smoke rising?
Haiku
Bread forgotten, charred,
mind seeks symbols, lessons, signs
toast burns. Smoke drifts up.
13. The Collapse
In the middle of shame or fear, pause.
What’s here?
Not the story. The body: jaw tight, stomach clenched, eyes wet.
Sensation. Not proof. Not identity.
Haiku
Shame floods like a tide,
yet body only trembles
stories make the wound.
14. The Twitch of Seeking
The thought arises: “So what do I do now?”
Look closely. Who is asking?
Can you find the seeker? Or only the echo—the last twitch?
Haiku
“What do I do now?”
the last twitch of a seeker
echo with no voice.
15. The Wordless Yes
Sit with a friend in pain.
Notice: no fixing is needed. No advice.
Love radiates without a giver, without a receiver.
Look: where does it come from?
Haiku
Friend spills grief like rain,
listening holds no repair
love breathes without name.
16. The Death Moment
Grief surges like a wave.
Look: does the ache in the chest prove someone has been lost?
Or is it the echo of love, shapeless, still moving through?
Haiku
Ashes on the wind,
grief moves but belongs to none
love without an edge.
17. The Shimmer in the Ordinary
Steam curls from a cup.
Mind whispers: “This is peaceful, remember this.”
Look past it: the curl, the warmth, the hand, the breath.
Unadorned. Already enough.
Haiku
Steam curls from the cup,
mind whispers “peace” then falters
curl was peace itself.
18. The Story as Post-It Note
Boss says: “We’ll revisit later.”
The body contracts. The story: “I failed.”
Look at the raw data: words, sound, vibration in the chest.
Which part hurts—the sound, or the post-it label?
Haiku
Words fall: “We’ll return.”
Chest clenches, story declares
only sound was real.
19. The River’s Drift
Stand at a stream. Watch a leaf carried around a rock.
Look: was there a choice?
The movement already began, noticed only after.
So too with life. Decisions are driftings.
Haiku
Leaf turns with the stream,
no plan, no map, no swimmer
movement was the choice.
20. The Silence Before the Word
Before “this” is named, what is here?
Don’t answer. Don’t describe.
Look: even now, before naming, it is whole.
Nothing missing. Already complete.
Haiku
Before “this” is said,
the whole world already here
gone before it stays.
For more pointers and suggestions, check out this link to vince-bot using the website as its knowledge base.
Vince Schubert YouTube Channel
Free online meetups every Saturday at 9 pm (Sydney Australia time)
and one each Monday 6 am ( Sydney Australia time). This meeting starts at 6am and is only available to paid Substack subscribers.
and each Wednesday at 4 pm (Sydney Australia time)
and every Friday 7 am (Sydney time) - never published. Only available to participants who request it by email.
You can check your local time here:
Or visit the website for countdown timers to each meeting.
Please note that it's always the same time on the same link. Arriving late and leaving early is fine.
Click here to Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86991485768?pwd=WkIvNk9zS1Q0VlVMR3lENW12Um5DQT09
Here is a link to all of the published recordings.
Audio files can be found here:
There is also paid 1on1 (& also 2 on 1) guiding here: With vince &/or Marius
Although the website still requires a lot of work, there are resources here; WakingUpWithVince.com
..and more here; WakingUpWithMarius
If any link doesn’t work properly, please let me know. vinceschubert@gmail.com
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..and remember - lots of little bits make a big bit. ❤️