There is exactly one topic I’ve wanted to blog about for the past month. Or rather, there is one topic I’ve wanted to blog about next. And so all other post ideas keep accumulating, because I’ve had my mind set on clearing enough time and space to write about this one thing. Not shockingly, due to the holidays and an already-full workload, that time and space has not materialized.
Then, finally — just now — I remembered: I don’t have to make things difficult for myself. Oh. Right.
The post “Chop Wood, Carry Water” from the beautiful Raptitude blog sums up nicely the idea of simplifying life, thoughts, and being in and of the moment. And that sometimes physical activity is just the thing to wrest your attention away from your mind (if that makes any sense).
Some highlights:
When the mind is not crowded
By imaginary things,
It is the best season of your life.-Kabir
__________
When you are able to experience the concrete without the interference
of imaginary things, it creates an effortless, lackless pleasure. We
are very much drawn to it, whether we realize it or not. The pleasures
people seek — food, music, sex, movies, travel, drugs, sport — all of
them are so appealing because they have the power to wrest our
attention from our mental preoccupations and hook it onto an actual,
concrete sensation. They all achieve the same thing. They crystallize
our attention. And they can do it because they are real. Sensations are
exacting and unambiguous — the opposite of the free-associating soup of
unchecked thought.__________
The simplest remedy I’ve ever heard … is to remember to chop wood, carry water.
In other words, when in doubt, put your attention on the physical.
Where should your hands be? What should your body do about this? How
should you spend your energy here, physically? Put it in motion.A physical response gets the world turning again and brings you out
of the realm of thought. Trying to fend of thoughts by thinking about
them is something like trying to shoo flies away with other flies.
The goal: Think (or overthink, anyway) less. Live the moment more.
(Photo credit: silverlinedwinnebago)
