Today's
Meditation:
I
have a very hard time spending quiet time alone. I
love spending time alone, but it's usually not quiet-- I'm
running or hiking or listening to music. So I force
myself to spend time doing nothing, with no music on at
all, and that time usually is some of the best time I ever
spend. It usually is pretty difficult for the first
five or ten minutes, but after that it's great once I get
used to it.
My
mind starts to relax then, and I feel my thoughts start to
slip away and my brain start to empty itself-- of the
trivial and the unimportant, and the more important things
start to become more prominent in my thoughts. It's
like a computer that's running about thirty programs at
once, overwhelming the processor-- the machine runs slowly
and ineffectively and sometimes even crashes or freezes
up. But once I shut down the programs that aren't
really contributing to me right now, the more important
basic elements are given more space and time within my
mind, and I really like how it feels to be able to slow
down and think in a much more relaxed way.
A
nice, comfortable, quiet place is within reach of all of
us. We all can find such a place. The question
is simple: what do we do with that space? How
do we treat it when we're there? Do we fill it with
noise or just turn around and leave because there's
nothing going on or because it bores us? If we do
so, we're missing one of the most important gifts we
have-- a quiet space where we can spend some quiet time and
renew our energy and vitality.
It's
hard to be open and honest when we're competing to think
over noise and distractions. And there's no need to,
as long as we're willing to take-- or make-- the time to
spend in quiet, peaceful reflection.
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