Pain - Starting In My Head

Much of our pain is carried around in our memory and projected into our future. We are reminded often of the past and how it has impacted our lives. What may be worse is that we have the ability to project that pain out onto the future - in "What might happen . . ."

I have this little group of people - a committee - if you prefer, that goes around chattering inside my head. Many of us do. In fact, I'd say everyone does. Except, the committee sometimes starts to play out on the movie screens of our minds events and situations that might occur. As we do this, we see ourselves in the middle - talking to these imaginary people who are people we know. We see ourselves talking to them and then perhaps projecting the evil events of the past and getting swept up in making them play out in these future scenarios.

Do you do this?

Think about your answer. Of course you do. The question is, how long do you do this before you are able to shut off the committee? Or better, have you mastered the mind and keep your mind from doing this at all?

If you do not shut off the mind, you wind up creating all this negative energy that you carry around with you for the day. And having this negative energy you attract other negative energy and the people who have it. You "awaken" their negativity and this negativity gets hooked up with yours. And all you did was play the negative potential events in your head.

Like attracts like, as they say. Negative attracts negative.

I have learned that staying in the present moment, sort of dissolves any future project (aka worry, anxiety, fear, anger, etc).

The present moment. This is the NOW. This minute, this second. It is living "one day at a time." Even better, "one hour, one minute, one second, at a time."

Being able to stay in the present moment turns off worry, fear, anger, and so on. Here are some ideas to stop and catch this exact second;

Stop and look at the coffee cup in your hand. I mean really look at it. See the cup handle. The color. No coffee cup? Okay, then . . .

Stop and look at the keyboard or the words on this screen. See each letter. Focus now. Try and hold it for 15 seconds. Just 15 little seconds.

Now try it for 30 seconds. Focus now. You can do it. You can. I know you can.

Did you notice the pain subside?

When you get the present moment in focus it is impossible for that committee to be called to order. Do this when times are stressful. Make this a routine. Nothing magically difficult about it. And the advice, well, is free.

Other ways I have found to get into the present and stop the committee is . . .

I recommend lots of meetings. They have allowed me to get focused in the here and the now. Some how, when I am in the meeting, I am at ease with my disease. I put at ease my dis-ease. I feel - comfortable - a sense of; "I am going to be okay." I can breath easier. I am more relaxed.

Speaking of breathing. I heard - and I have tested it and it works - that if you breath, breath deeply, you cannot be thinking of your problems when you breath, and breath is deeply. Try it through your nostrils, and fill up you chest of air. Say, "breath" . . . what a powerful command for you to live by and have in your hip pocket. I also would recommend you do this "breathing" in the sanctity of a long walk or a quiet moment at a Starbuck's or even a MacDonald's. Just get away and BREATH.

Blessings to all. I hope this message helps you this week.