There must have been a time when I knew how to ‘just be’. A time when I could live in the moment without worrying or overanalysing. Nowadays, though, my brain is full of chatter. When the noise gets too much, it’s time to take action.
Mindfulness meditation; I know it can calm me, refocus me and allow me to be in the moment. Sometimes it works. At other times, I really struggle to deal with those endless thoughts racing around my brain.
One of the keys to mindfulness is acceptance. Whatever is going on, inside or out, you notice it and accept it without judgment. So, how can I show my ‘racing thoughts’ that I acknowledge and accept them? On those days when I’m struggling, perhaps I can take another approach… I can offer my thoughts a place on the page.
I write them down. What follows is a stream-of-consciousness splurge that flows from my mind through my pen and onto paper. Writing is my way of saying ‘I hear you’. It is my way of giving each thought, no matter how grand or trivial, its own space and recognition. I give them all a home in the pages of my notebook and when I’m done my head is clearer and I feel calmer. I have been true to my thoughts and to myself.
Now, I am free to ‘just be’ for a few glorious moments, letting the world go by, enjoying the stillness and silence inside.