THE MIND BOGGLES!! |
Coaching Videos & Tips - July 29 2021 No. 715 |
"People talking without listening" - you might think that's what today's video is about, certainly it starts out that way. But, as you know, we're onto the second of our senses today. A little work, a baby step, in the right direction will always lead you... in the right direction!
This Week's Reflection
No doubt you're aware that we're running through a series of Thursday morning videos covering, for starters, the five senses. For starters. If you're not aware of this, you need to come to your senses!!
Now, over the course of these weeks, you might think that what I'm suggesting in each video and quick tip is a little on the passive side. What impact could "listening to the sound of silence" have on my daily life?
Here's the thing about our senses - the more subtle the sensory data we attend to, the more fine-tuned our subcortical brain becomes to assessing real-time data about what's going on in our lives in the here and now. And the more fine-tuned our ability to respond becomes.
It's awfully easy to notice a loud thump, a big bang or a speedy car coming straight for you. Or so you might imagine. Yes, you'll notice but then the automatic mind will assess, appraise, re-evaluate and you'll see or hear what you think you're seeing or hearing.
But when we deliberately set time aside to practice noticing the subtler stuff, the more we disengage the automated prejudicial judging of what's going on, the more we'll begin the know what's going on - which is a world away from what we think is going on.
This enables us know, choose and act - again a world away from think, automatically choose and react. And more we truly live in that real world, the more our lives develop in a direction that is a world away from the normal.
This Week's Quick Tip
Over the coming days, create the opportunity for yourself to sit in silence for 20-30mins. Of course, as you'll discover, there's no such thing as auditory silence - but that's not the kind of silence I'm talking about at all.
Sit and let the jibbering idiot in your own head - that thought fuelled idiot - keep on jibbering. Let the jibberings pass and listen, for now, to the sound of silence.
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Normal @%!*#y People!
If you were with me on Facebook Live on Tuesday, you'd know that, as we spoke, this week's Normal Crazy People story was unfolding. And, I was right, nothing had changed by Tuesday evening. Let me explain.
You might remember that our neighbour likes to admire his garden equipment without actually using it. Previously, he's been known to take out his strimmer, look at it for a while, then think the better of it and put it away again. Same with lawnmower, hedgetrimmer, etc.
On Tuesday morning, the object of his attention was his ladder which, with great ado (and much admired by another neighbour) he put up against the eaves of his house. He stood back and admired and admired and admired... watered the flowers, did a little clipping, talked to the neighbours and anyone other ladder-admirers who passed by.
Tuesday night, the ladder was still intact, unused. Wednesday, same. Here we are Thursday morning - wonder how much admiring he'll do today...