I am a thinker. An overthinker, mind you.
The freedom of thought is a right which I hold dear. It can not be taken away from neither you nor me. It is the most astounding attribute for us as humans. Thinking is the hallmark of evolution of nature. The human mind has limitless capabilities with its vivid sense of memory and fantastic sense of imagination.
My brain is a world in itself. There is a lot going on. There I am the supreme leader of a self sufficient nation. My citizens adore me. All my fantasies and dreams come to life. On my mind, I am the best version of myself. Life changing ideas are incubated continuously. Even so, most of them remain there.
In there, none is better than me. I am full of myself with my own beliefs and values.
I micro-analyze every single bit of activity around me. How could I have done better? Who deserves my what?
In there, I have gigabytes and megabytes of memories which I am always quick to relive. If our minds were computers, they would be unmatched in their capabilities.
Lots of energy goes into forming hypotheses about the future.
A complex algorithm which evaluates my past, present and environment to plan for the future.
This is the most amazing and intriguing part of ourselves.
SWITCH OFF
However, off late I have had this overwhelming feeling of mental helplessness. I feel stuck in the mental clog of my brain.
Can I turn off my brain and just stop thinking? Is it possible to reboot it?
I can always switch off this computer I’m typing on. Most probably, it will perform better after that.
Can it be that the strongest aspect of my brain could be my biggest weakness?
Our minds are as hard to control as the wind.
What will be the future like? I continually ask myself. On the other side, a distant memory keeps bugging me incessantly. I keep wondering, how can I delete it? Emotions rise and fall beyond my control.
This is a sickness which the cure is never in sight. My mind is in a compulsive state of activity
Any stimulant would only give a momentarily relief.
I felt helpless until I stumbled upon a book called the Power of now by Eckhart Tolle.
My perspective of life has changed after reading it for the last couple of months. It has been a process with a touch of destiny. It is as if I have had the least understanding of myself and my mind in general.
A CHILD’S MIND
I have a three year old nephew. He is a typical child. Sleep, play, eat, repeat. That’s his cycle of life.
Recently when I am around him, I am observant.
Whatever he is doing, whether playing or watching his cartoons, he is incredibly focused and single minded.
On the other hand, for most of us, we are constantly absent minded. We remain aloof to what is occupying us. We remain lost in the black hole of the future and locked by the chains of the past.
On one chilled out Sunday afternoon, I asked my nephew what were the plans for the coming week.
He looked at me puzzled.
Unsurprisingly, he didn’t give it much thought.
‘’ I’ll wake up.’’ he said.
‘’ And then…’’ I probed further. ‘’ I’ll eat.’’ he mildly added.
Beyond that, he didn’t have an idea. Or he didn’t care. Obviously, we cannot compare his ability of foresight to that of an adult. Needless to say, I found it enlightening.
We say children are naturally pure beings. They bear no ill. Anything that happens in the past is left there. What happens in the future is beyond them. They focus on what is within their control which is the present, the now.
INTROSPECTION
How many times do we take a step while thinking of the next step. Never fully experiencing each moment because we are either held down by our past or what’s yet to come.
What is possible and not possible is not your business, it is nature’s business. Our knowledge has turned out to be our downfall as prophesied in the scriptures.
We create false images of ourselves. This holds down. We furiously defend these pre-conceived self images. A confirmation bias sinks in as we stubbornly uphold our beliefs.
With this new perspective, I am learning to pause the constant chatter in my brain. It is the key to achieving mental health and utilizing our faculties.
ARE YOU USING YOUR BRAIN OR IS IT USING YOU?Wise Fool
How can you get to a state of conscious brain activity? This book will begin your journey to enlightenment; the Power of Now.
The book doesn’t conjure anything new. It only helps us find the answer, which is always inside us. We only need to look.
Food for thought: What is the difference between your brain and your mind?
To find this book and hopefully yourself , find it here: https://t.me/backbenchas
NAMASTE! ?
In spirit,
The Wise Fool