Monday, October 11, 2021
It can be difficult to immerse yourself in each and every experience, especially if it’s challenging or “busy.” The mind tries to interfere with experiences by thinking about them. That running, mental commentary often causes icky emotions as we interpret everything we experience. But how necessary is all of that so-called interpretation? Can you go about your day without over “feeling” your way through it, and without wondering what it all means? Rather than focusing on figuring it out, why not just experience, neutrally, as it comes to you? Easier said than done. The mind is a powerful problem-solver, and it needs some work to do! But it doesn’t need to work all the time.
Today can be a reset, another chance to fully align with reality and the contents of the present moment. You can start immediately. You can begin by paying very close attention to reading these words. The more you pay attention, the more the moment will soothe you. You don’t need the mind to comment on everything you experience. Quite the opposite – the mind’s voice needs to be shut up, so that you can focus on your experiences. The mind can be a nuisance, but you can tame it.
Use your mind to deepen your experience by aligning with it, not judging or criticizing it. Open your awareness to notice more – as much as you can, actually. Notice how you react. Notice what’s around you and what you hear and see. Notice how well you are interfacing with reality. All experiences can be used as spiritual practice, paying attention to the experiences themselves, not the mind’s interpretation of them. If the mind gets revved up, causing emotional turmoil, just notice that, step back, and take it as a cue to pay closer attention to what you’re doing in the present moment. That kind of alignment with experience will bring you the peace that you seek.