Who are You Really Talking to All Day Long and Why? The Art of Mindfulness, Part II
This is Part II of a four part blog. See my blog post of 04/30/07 for Part I.
It is rather interesting to note how busy and active our minds are! It is amazing how much energy we expend towards “thinking” all the time. And it is amazing how much of that “thinking” is either takes us into the past or projects us into the future.
So, little of it is focused on what is happening in the here and now! So little of it pays any attention to what is in front of us at the moment. So little of it gives us the opportunity to “stop and smell the roses” or to appreciate the sunset or receive a smile or look into a child’s wondrous eyes.
It’s usually all a pile of mind drivel that we place our attention on—really rather boring and monotonous stuff. We become so self-absorbed in little meaningless, repetitious dramas that drain and distract us from what is happening in the present moment!
We have often heard it said that children have a very short attention span. That may be true, but I have observed that most adults have even shorter ones. Their minds are constantly jumping around from one thought or scenario to another. The Hindus call it “the drunken monkey mind.” It is really an incredible waste of energy and quite something to observe in action!
But why? Why do we get stuck in these quagmires of the mind? Why do we race around in our minds, but ultimately end up going nowhere? Why do we walk down the same street each day and fall into the same old hole? Why do we repeat the same old experiences and wonder why life is so meaningless? Why? Have you stopped to ask yourself why? Or do you think this is just the way it is?
Actually, all it is--is a habit! Albeit, a bad habit, but it’s all just a habit. And habits can be changed, if they are first identified, that is made conscious, and then they can gradually be changed.
This is Part II of a four part blog. See my blog post of 05/07/07 for Part III