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“It’s a free country,” they say. “Celebrate our independence,” I
hear.
Well, I’m all for having a party, but it strikes me that you
don’t have to be an American to appreciate freedom, and doing
what I’m told isn’t the best way to exercise independence.
So, let’s expand that notion of freedom just a bit, and look at
how we can become more aware of the fireworks that are lighting
up our minds.
What sets off your mental fireworks? What ignites your personal
bottle rockets?
Perhaps it’s a simple pet peeve, like small handbag dogs, or
Jello salad, or people who talk on their cell phones too loudly.
Maybe you go ballistic when you hear a certain song. We often
have extreme reactions to relatively minor things based on our
own little stories about them.
Maybe you save your fireworks for the big-ticket items—issues
like war, poverty, health, and education.
In your head or in the sky above, when those fireworks start
exploding, you’ve got two choices. You can either: 1)
Hoot/holler, ooh/ahh, whistle/clap -or- 2) Watch quietly
What do YOU do?
How do you respond when that initial flash appears? Do you get
caught up in the excitement of it? Are you likely to share your
enthusiasm in a way that is noisy—or are you more likely to
watch in silence? What is your NATURAL TENDENCY?
In the name of freedom everywhere, I’d like to offer this tip to
those who may be convinced that mindfulness requires silence:
try making noise. And to those who are more likely to hoot and
holler, here’s a suggestion: be quiet.
In other words, use fireworks as an opportunity to free yourself
from your typical response pattern, and pay attention to the
newness of it. After all, mindfulness starts when we notice
something new. So, instead of focusing on always finding
something to get excited about, try tweaking your own way of
reacting. And then, watch THAT.
Start with the big, glorious displays in the night sky. Observe.
Watch yourself. Do what you normally wouldn’t do.
Later, try the same thing with those mental fireworks. Observe.
Watch yourself. Do what you normally wouldn’t do.
And celebrate your independence.
About the author:
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon.
Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she
teaches creative and powerful eyes-wide-open alternatives to
meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday
Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com.
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