Problems. Sometimes it feels as though we spend most of our time trying to solve the seeming problems that come up in life. The mind keeps us awake at night and we continue to chew on them during the day. We get one hammered down, and another one pops up. Remember pounding on your jack-in-the-box when you were little? Like that–as though the world depends upon our solving these problems with our minds.

I sit with my to-do list in the morning. This week it is filled with doctors to call, and possibly insurance companies. There is a sense of urgency in my body–I want these doctors to follow through promptly on what they said they would do.

The mind is not the best tool for the task. Awareness is. Awaring is the most sensitive in addressing challenges that arise. The mind is a useful in a supporting role. It can look up phone numbers, prioritize, and attend to other non-emotional details. But life works better when the mind is not in charge. Listening in the moment is required to respond to problems well, and if the mind is grinding away, we simply are not present.

I do thank the mind. It has its place, and I value what it can do. But I no longer allow it to be top-dog.

© Amrita Skye Blaine, 2013
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