The mind is both a blessing and a curse. It can think, create, and plan but left unchecked, thinking and planning can become obsessive and counterproductive. It can also get stuck in loops of worry and anxiety about the past and the future. Mark Twain described this well when he said, “I have had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened”.
When we are distracted by the constant chatter of our inner dialogue, we miss what’s happening around us. So rarely are our minds quiet enough that we are living fully in the present moment. And the present moment is where life happens and where well-being lives.
I remember the first time I recognized my thinking insanity. It was about 25 years ago. I was planning a beach vacation with my husband. When we arrived we busily planned our activities. At one moment as I was standing with my toes in the sand looking out into the ocean, I noticed that I was completely in my head. I was thinking about how many days had already passed and how many more until I had to go home and back to work. I was standing in paradise but my mind was anywhere but.
I ask you…when was the last time your mind and body were truly in the same place? Your thoughts are so frequently in the past or the future but your body can only ever be in the present.
It would be nice if we could turn our thoughts on and off as needed, like a light switch. I’m not about to suggest you try. Your mind’s job is to think. It will secrete thoughts as sure as your heart will beat and your lungs will breathe. Rather than being a slave to your thoughts, you can learn to use your mind as the tool it is meant to be. To plan and create and when done, to redirect your attention to the present moment. The more you do that, the more presence and well-being will grow in you.
I continue to be very busy in my mind but more and more I notice. I stop and pause. I unhook my attention from my thoughts and turn it toward my breath, my feet on the ground, or something else that is present. My daughter captured this photo of me at just one of those moments.
Don’t judge yourself for thinking, just notice it is happening and redirect. Practice and practice some more. What you focus on grows and you have the power to continuously point your attention to what you want more of.
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