AOM Meditations: ONE THING

Saint Jerome Writing by Caravaggio

(An example of the art technique, Chiaroscuro)

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"When we carefully observe our thoughts, we discover that they are not in our control—we swim in an uninvited constant stream of memories, plans, expectations, judgments, regrets. Often the root of these movements of mind is dissatisfaction. We seem to want both endless excitement and perfect peace. But instead of being served by our thinking, we are driven by it in unconscious and unexamined ways. While thoughts can be enormously useful and creative, often they dominate our experience with attachments to our likes and dislikes, with views that divide the world into higher and lower, self and other. Our thoughts repeatedly tell stories about our successes and failures, plan our security, habitually remind us of who and what we think we are. Through mindfulness, we can come to know and let go of the patterns of unhelpful worry and obsession; we can clarify our confusion and release destructive views and opinions. We can reflect on what we most value."

~Jack Kornfield

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from the scattered brain of AOM:

My mind is always a busy place. When I am doing a task, (washing dishes, mowing the yard, folding clothes, etc. etc.) I am always thinking of what's next - rushing to what's next. I often find myself trying to multi-task.  I hurry through one activity to get to another and another, etc. All of this thinking and pushing ahead tends to cause me stress. Great Balls of Fire it rattles my brain. : )

It's taken me YEARS (60 to be exact) to finally find a way to overcome this mental habit that causes me so much stress. Here's my new found secret: 

ONE THING

When I am involved in an activity and CATCH my mind rushing ahead to the next, I say to myself, "One thing". In this I am telling myself to relax and focus on what I am doing at this present moment. Just do the one thing. Take your time - don't rush it - just do the ONE THING. When I do this, I immediately relax and become mindful, focusing on what I am doing at that present moment. So next time you CATCH your mind wandering and rushing off to the next things, remind yourself by thinking, ONE THING.

Maybe this will help you live more mindful. It's helped me.

~AOM

As our beloved friend, Thích Nhat Hanh, says: 

“If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not "washing the dishes to wash the dishes." What's more, we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. In fact we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink. If we can't wash the dishes, the chances are we won't be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked away into the future -and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.”

~Thích Nhat Hanh

(The Miracle of Mindfulness)

ONE THING