Thinking is Overrated

I was talking with a student the other day, and we both seemed to comment on how things progress smoother in life when we don’t think about them. Or put another way, the less I think, the better things seem to go.

I have been practicing meditation - my own form - on and off for some time now, but especially recently, I am practicing more regularly and systematically. As a result of my practice, I have noticed several things.

Generally Quieter

One benefit I notice is that I am becoming quieter in general. My wife would say this is not so. My students might say this is not so, but it is so. what I mean is I am quieter in my mind. My thoughts are ‘softer’ somehow, less intense. Maybe weaker would be a better word. instead of being carried away by my thoughts I find they are not so immediate and pressing. They are receding into the background.

The result is being quieter in my mind. It is much more peaceful.

Flotsam and Jetsam

I can recognize that lots of my thoughts are just extraneous flotsam and jetsam. Where in the past a thought would come into my head and just by virtue of its existence in my head it was important. Now I can see that a lot of these thoughts are not important at all and in fact downright distracting. I am learning they are better off ignored and that is just what I do more and more.

Bothered… Not!

Coupled to the above points, I find I am less bothered by my thoughts. I do not worry about things so much. My worries still come up but they do not Hijack mi thoughts and being like they used to. They are not so consuming. This saves me a lot of energy and helps me keep on track to my goals, even if I temporarily forget them.

KISS

The less I think, the simpler things become. Thinking is a great way to muddle things up and get it confused and wrong. Thinking is often irresistable, but the more I meditate the less irresistable it is. Resist the temptation to indulge.

Downs are not quite so… serious

I experience ups and downs and sometimes in the past the downs of life were quite debilitating. Now, the downs are shorter and easier to control. They are less worrisome since I can dispel them faster (hours or days instead of weeks). And I can see through to the other side when the downs are finished. and they are not connected to ‘me’… they seem to come from ‘outside’, kind of like a ‘hijacker’. If I ignore them, they give up and leave me alone after a while.

The Best

the less I think the smoother life seems to go. Years ago one of my students talked about money. She said, the less she thinks and worries about money the more it seems to accumulate. I find what she said to be true, not only of money but of many things, including my ability to do a good quality job, have deeper and richer relationships, purpose in life, and peace of mind.

The peace of mind is the best.