MAKE MONKEY-MIND WORK FOR YOU

Make Monkey-Mind Work for You

            It’s probably a mainstream cliché at this stage to utter the words, ‘Gratitude is the Best Attitude.’ However, as with all clichés, it contains more than just a grain of truth. There are many techniques out there for ‘practising gratitude’ and they all work.

            The approach I like best, takes no extra time out of anyone’s day and is a swifter soother than other approaches I’ve tried. It also allows us to make Monkey-Mind work for us rather than simply for its own entertainment.

             I like to practice it outdoors while walking from A to B, or simply going for a stroll. It can certainly be done indoors if you wish, but I don’t recommend practicing it while you’re driving any kind of vehicle, with or without an engine. This is because it does require some attention and really, all your attention should be on the road if you’re driving/riding.

             Here’s how to do it:

Step One: As you walk along, in your mind, Say Thank you for everything you see.

            That’s it!

            Now, here are some details: Include every single thing your eyes fall on, however strange they may seem, as well as anything else you are inspired to think of. This really easily becomes a stream of consciousness experience and Monkey-Mind LOVES stream of consciousness! Now, instead of a constant babble in your head distracting you from being present, you can direct the babble to create a very soothed and resourceful state.

             Let me give an example of how it might sound in your mind as you’re walking along:

‘… thank you for my legs, thank you for shoes, thank you for shoelaces, thank you for feet, thank you for paving stones, thank you for the Romans, thank you for pizza, thank you for cheese, thank you for cows, thank you for green grass, thank you for trees, thank you for the smell of coffee, thank you for coffee, thank you for cinnamon buns, thank you for bakers, thank you for colour, thank you for beauty thank you for eyes that work,thank you for traffic lights, thank you for pedestrian crossings…’

            You get the idea, I’m sure. It can be quite entertaining to see what your mind will throw at you; just say thank you anyway. Have fun and thanks for looking in; everything you need is in there!

Rex.

Ps: On Sunday, I’m going to explore what I think of as the Myth of Motivation.