“I wish I had a button which I could press to switch off my thoughts.”
That’s what me, 10 years ago, was hoping for. Just a few moments of peace and quiet, PLEASE!
And these days I hear plenty of clients saying
“Oh no, I can’t do meditation. I’m no good at it and it just doesn’t work for me. My mind is too busy to be able to just switch off like that.”
But what if it isn’t all about finding 30 minutes twice a day to sit like a pretzel, halt our thoughts and float off into transcendental bliss?
What if it’s totally possible for us ALL (no matter how busy-lived or busy-minded) to access a small but powerful twinkle of INNER CALM whenever we need it?
To drop below the noise of our thoughts/worries/feelings and into a place of stillness for just one moment. The best analogy I can think of is that it’s very much like putting your head under the water in a public swimming pool on a Saturday afternoon. You can’t stay for long but, boy, is it blissfully quiet.
A mindfulness or meditation practice isn’t about working out how to switch off your thoughts (don’t aim for that because I think it only happens when you’re dead). It’s about creating just a millimetre of SPACE between you and your passing thoughts.
These fragments of space disconnect you momentarily from your reflections on the past and your worries for the future. They give you a glimmer of respite from strong emotions and, instead, place you exactly where you need to be. Right here in the present moment.
And, by the way, it’s called a practice for a reason and there’s no ‘good’ and no ‘success’. You just have to put a small amount of energy into giving it a go consistently and regularly and you’ll find your own way of accessing the moments of space that you need.
Then, the really exciting bit is when you’re able access that space on demand – you can dunk your head under the water whenever you need it.
The 5 min video below from Martin Boroson is an excellent starting point and a great introduction to FINDING SPACE IN THE TINY MOMENTS. They also have an app with a ‘surprise’ setting which reminds you, at a random time each day, to stop and take a moment.
Up for giving it a go?
And please, if you know someone who could do with a few more moments of calm in their lives at the moment, then please share the love. You taking action could be the tiny thing which make a big difference to them.
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If you’re feeling like you could do with a bit more space in your head right now and are struggling to create it on your own then I’m here, ready and waiting, to help you unstick your thinking and find the focus and clarity you need to live a bloody good life.
Click here to find out more about the work that I do, here to find out more about me and here to hear what my clients have to say.
And, as always, don’t forget to enjoy the journey.
