Welcome to the June Edition of
Your 'Monthly Wake Up Call'.
June 1 , 2007
From the desk of Aaron McNaught:
Hello and welcome to my 'new look' Monthly Wake Up Call.
After 18 months of Monthly Wake Up Call communications, I've changed the format slightly and wanted to make the communication shorter, for a few reasons.
1. I know you're busy.
2. So am I.
3. Many people cannot or will not pay attention to anything for very long.
That's also the reason I've changed the format. From now on, each brief Monthly Wake Up Call will be about one idea related to how we live our lives with diminished attention, the effects of living our lives that way, as well as suggestions on how we can work with our lives to wake up.
Also, from now on the layout will be on a nice page like the one you are currently viewing.
With no further adieu, let's go!
In this issue: The High Cost of A Busy Mind
Do you ever find that you have become agitated or anxious while alone, maybe while driving, at work or at home, and realize that there is nothing in your immediate experience that caused your agitation and anxiety except your thoughts?
Maybe you are thinking about 'what could/should have happened' or 'what does it mean'?, or 'why did it happen'?
Maybe you are having a conversation or argument in your head with someone and your mind is playing both sides? (I always win arguments with my ex-wife when I am alone)
Or maybe you are second guessing yourself, scolding or berating yourself to the point of submission?
Three Big Ways You Pay
There are many ways that we pay for this kind of unnecessary mental activity, or as we are calling it here, a busy mind. Let's quickly look at three.
1. When we are lost in the busy mind the body reacts to our thoughts, which means when we are having thoughts that are negative or painful, the body reacts accordingly.
Agitation, anxiety, stress, depression, anger and apathy can be the result of having a mind that talk talk talks. I call this mental flagellation.
2. When we are lost in the busy mind we lose access to our deeper perspective, our maturity and our natural deep wisdom.
This is because we are functioning from the surface of the reactive mind, rather than from the depths of our heart and being.
3. When we are lost in the busy mind we are missing our real and true life that is happening beneath our chatty minds. This means that we are living a substitute life, rather than our real and true life that does not require thought. Our real life is happening in the silence and stillness that is deeper and far more true than anything our mind could ever say to us.
Do you think there is ANY chance that one day soon, maybe when you are close to your death, that you will say to yourself: "I wish I would have taken the time to ___?"
Smell the roses, watch a sunset, hug my kids, kiss my lover, look at the sky, open my heart, be kind ....
What To Do?
Learn to place and fix your attention in someplace OTHER THAN your mind/head.
I would suggest picking a place and sticking with it for at least a month. For example, you might use your breath, your belly, or your whole body. Then, when you have placed and fixed your attention, open your attention to include your whole experience, without thought.
With even brief, intermittent practice you will get great results.
This practice will counter the Three Big Ways You Pay for The High Cost of A Busy Mind, outlined above.
