Life was trying to tell me something, but I wasn’t listening. I can recall going to my doctor with a list of health complaints. His calm reply was “you’re stressed” I jumped up out of my chair leaned across the desk at him and yelled “I'm not stressed!” I then recoiled back realising what I'd done and said: “Point taken”
“Take up meditation” he replied smiling serenely. I grumbled off.
Many years later I was living in a Buddhist Centre chatting with dear wise Lama retelling my “I'm-not-stressed story.”
I said “I know meditation works. I feel so much better but after I leave here I doubt I will have the time to meditate everyday”. He simply replied: “hours you watch TV?”
“Point taken” I quietly said.
There is a little part of us all that wants to sabotage the path to feeling good: A monster inside that some say is our ego not wanting us to be free of drama. Without our mind drama and racing thoughts we are truer to what our life’s purpose is.
Your Turn:
Find any kind of drawing items you like (pencils, markers, crayons)
Post it notes- any colour, every colour’s a winner!
Create a little coach of your own.
Draw it out. The coach can look like anything you like. Start off with a stick figure then maybe put a hat on it. Or even a pair of boots!
Anything that says to you: this coach commands my respect and will tell me to get my butt back in the game. She/he will remind you when you need to spend a few moments on you. Make a few of these on your post it notes.
Now go around your house and stick the coach to the top of your computer, one to your fridge, one to the dash of your car one at your work desk one on the bottom of the TV. In life it’s about balance and if something is not helping you then why spend so much time with it.
No one ever said on their dying bed “Darn, I wished I had watched more TV!”
You are worth so much more! You can be relaxed and centred. You can be confident that every time you do something like meditate or art you are improving yourself, calming your mind and just getting yourself together.