Just lately it has become so clear to me how much of my life I waste by thinking about things over and over again.
What I realise now is that I only need to think about a task when I am doing it, rather than multiple times before and after. For most of my life I have thought about what I am going to be doing this afternoon, or tomorrow, or next week, in an exhausting way. And if that’s not enough busy-ness, I can also worry and think about things that I have already done… over and over again.
It seems quite exhausting just thinking about it. Oops, there I go again…
It is so much better for me to be thinking about what I am doing right now. And so for now that means thinking about what I am writing. But even while doing this, my mind sometimes wanders off-task to start thinking about something else.
As I bring my mind to what is happening right now I find that there is a deep steadiness that comes over me. When my mind is busy with thinking about things that have not even happened yet, there is a sense of agitation or worry that this brings, and I feel unease in my body.
The stupid thing about thinking about things that might happen tomorrow is that it is just a made up story about how things might be. But made up or not, that doesn’t stop my mind from creating a whole drama about it; say a conversation I want to have with someone tomorrow. I can think about what I might say, about how they would reply, and so on until I’ve written a script in my head. And then I go and replay it again in a slightly different way because I can think of another way that it might be.
And so on and on it goes with my mind making up stories about tomorrow, and worrying about interactions of yesterday.
I’ve read lots of books on this topic of mindfulness, or living the moment, yet despite seeing the futility of not being present, I have continued with this same pattern more or less most of my life.
Until lately that is. The stupidity of thinking about things that haven’t happened yet has become very clear to me. So clear that I now notice very quickly when I am doing that, and bring my mind back to what is happening right now. And that means coming back to feel my body. To feel a connection with myself that is missing when I go off with the fairies.
THE CATALYST FOR CHANGE: THE GENTLE BREATH MEDITATION AND OBSERVATION
The catalyst for this change has been the Gentle Breath Meditation™ that I have learned with Serge Benhayon, It is a very simple meditation that takes only a few minutes. How many minutes it takes, or how many breaths it takes me to come back to myself depends on how far I have wandered and how much I have become caught up in a story that I have made up.
Now that I observe myself quite closely, I can choose to come back before I have strayed too far. It may often take only a few breaths — but if it takes more than that, it is a sign that I have wandered off from my connection with myself.
And the more I practice being with me, the more easy it is to notice when I stray.
The futility of thinking about things that haven’t happened yet hits me loud and clear.
THE GIFT OF OBSERVATION
I have become an observer of myself and can now own up to what I do without trying to defend it. My mind seems to have to justify its busy life to me, the observer.
My mind is actually quite a useful tool, as long as it stays on task. While my mind is with me, it serves me well. While its attention is right with me now and focussing on what I am actually doing, that doing comes with a loving imprint that brings an easy connection with me, with my innermost (what is truly me). And when that connection is strong I can see the beauty in what is around me. I can see the beauty in everyone that I interact with.
This awareness that I have now is such a gift of love. It brings me joy and contentment and also allows me to chuckle over my own stupidity when I wander off to rewrite some future interaction I am about to have with someone.
When the time comes to have that conversation, I can be there and bring me totally to the conversation as it unfolds. I can come now without expectation of how it might be. And I surprise myself over and over again, that what I need to say is there when it’s needed, without any rehearsal, and without the waste of thinking about it beforehand.
“What a waste it is to think about things twice!”
by Chris Baker, Sunshine Coast, Australia
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
What you describe here so well is how living in our head does not lead us anywhere as we are constantly living in a hypothetical world where anything is possible as it simply depends on where we want to go with our thoughts, but this has nothing to do with real life and the connections and relationships we (could) have with each other.
When we let our thoughts run away with us, that is when we start believing in our thoughts, dwelling on them or giving them more importance, analysing and dissecting, life becomes very complicated and joy disappears.
It is literally living in a parallel world.
This is a brilliant blog Chris, it’s just what I needed to read. So, interesting to be aware of our thoughts and how they can exhaust us or work to assist us in our tasks and our connection to ourselves. It make so much sense to let go of the constant busy-ness of our thoughts and bring it back to our task at hand and focus on what we are doing. I am going to practice in bringing my thoughts back to the present and not let them run wild in the past or the future but being present with me, to be more present.
Any act that take us away from our inner connection leads to exhaustion in some way.
Truth being we only need to move in connection and not think at all.
The mind may have its way but at the end of the day the body is always the winner. It is after all the one which experiences all our choices and is the one that makes us real and down to earth with life when we are open and with it.
True, what a waste of time and energy to think things over and over again. It takes in so much space and when I allow myself this twisting and turning in my head I get easily frustrated and exhausted. The observing way of life you are talking about is definitely making life simple and joyful.
‘For most of my life I have thought about what I am going to be doing this afternoon, or tomorrow, or next week, in an exhausting way.’ We waste so much energy on what might be rather than living in the here and now.
A timely reminder of what thinking about things twice actually does….nothing. And often it’s not twice, it’s several and it invites complication and uncertainty and going back and forth. An exhausting way to live. It takes a lot of practice to go with the flow, when we are so used to doing the opposite, but I’m willing to break the old habit, and keep practising trusting what I know.
Thank you Chris, I read this earlier this morning and then went out shopping and noticed how often I’m in the future or past in my thoughts. Once I noticed this I adjusted my posture and reconnected to my body and gentle breath. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Timely post to read about thinking and delving into things twice – HUGE subject! And wonderful opportunity to comment on . . . I was pondering and you could say it is ‘evil’ to think about something twice – what a dis-honour to leave you and the preciousness in what you are doing to go back or forward in life.
When the mind is used in conjunction to the depth of what your body knows it is special and a joy to feel in each moment. I love the honesty to bring you back and having that relationship of base to come back to being decent and respectful to your inner-knowing, and others around you, to what it is you naturally know and feel without the ‘thinking’. It is as though thinking about something twice is a corruption of your makeup.
Bringing ourselves back quickly when we realise we are doing this is so important, otherwise we just go round and round in circles giving power to the what is not, ‘The stupid thing about thinking about things that might happen tomorrow is that it is just a made up story about how things might be. But made up or not, that doesn’t stop my mind from creating a whole drama about it; say a conversation I want to have with someone tomorrow. I can think about what I might say, about how they would reply, and so on until I’ve written a script in my head. And then I go and replay it again in a slightly different way because I can think of another way that it might be.’ People have been sharing with me how they get caught in the above scenario, and I have referred them to the Gentle Breath Meditation, https://www.universalmedicine.com.au/services/free-audio-library/gentle-breath-meditation.
Over thinking can be quite exhausting, and take us completely away from our bodies, this makes much more sense, ‘What I realise now is that I only need to think about a task when I am doing it, rather than multiple times before and after.’ Absolutely, stay with the task in hand.
We can think on situations or tasks as much as we like but actually it all comes down to the moment we are in that situation or doing that ask and sure it will be completely different from that what we have thought it to be. This to me makes it very clear that this way of thinking actually brings us nowhere, as it keeps us trapped in thoughts and through that we miss a great part of life as in our thinking we have actually disconnected from the moment we live in, the moment where everything is happening from which we can grow and evolve.
I agree Chris. Only yesterday I spent a good hour mulling over a presentation I did. Not a good use of my time. Yes I did review what I would do differently next time, and what went well but that part was done in 10 minutes. The rest was me fretting about stuff I no longer had any control over. It was gone. And then of course there is the future that I spend way too much time thinking about. I am learning to stay with what I am doing. Its far less exhausting and I get to enjoy the present moment rather than being somewhere else in my head.
‘The gift of observation’ this really is a gift, not only to give to yourself, but to everyone. Being able to really arrest reactions of people, situations and the world really is a gift. To observe unemotively, to not allow yourself to get involved and then retell the story over and over, which only ever keeps the yuk energy alive and at play.
I really get this – thinking about a conversation I am going to have with someone, or an activity, going over it again and again after it ended – what a waste of time this is. Even without it, often we feel as though time is running out, but really, we are filling up its space with so many things that actually do not belong to the moment, robbing ourselves of the space, running on the nervous energy and anxiety which exhausts us with no end.
The body constantly gets effected by how we think and the thoughts we are allowing to play out. Even sitting in one spot, not moving, we can totally exhaust ourselves by thinking and rethinking about the past or future.
It is a great observation isn’t it to realise just how much our minds are conjuring up stories and pictures about life most of which is completely in our imagination and may be a far cry from the energetic truth of what it actually occurring. I find the Gentle Breath Meditation really supports me to stay steady so I can spot those stories and also to feel what is really going on in any situation.
It seems crazy to sit in an armchair and go over in our minds what we are going to do and how we are going to do it, yes initially we have to put a plan in place and cover all bases, but after that second guessing ourselves only causes anxiety. One thing that I used to do a lot, was look at what needed doing within the house, say, sorting something out, and I would imagine doing that task and then not doing it, then imagining again another time, and not doing it. So by the time the task got done in my mind I’d already spent heaps of time thinking about it. Like you have said Chris, a total waste of time, and it is draining.
Rehearsing our interactions ahead of time, it’s a total waste of time and energy because it’s done out of fear, in protection, or some kind of justification – so it’s not really the full and true us that’s doing the rehearsing, but our emotions. When we stay focused on the present moment and don’t wander off into our heads, we have all the energy and answers we need for any moment, when we’re in it. That’s not to say we don’t ever need to plan ahead – sometimes we do need to make plans, or reflect back on what just happened – but there’s a way of doing it where we stay connected to our bodies and aren’t totally checked out in our minds.
This article is one of simplicity and practicality. It simply explains how practical it is to focus ones mind on where the body is at present. A sharing that we need in our world in our current times, as our mind has definitely taken our bodies for a ride that mostly is one of disregard, emotional blackmail and dis-ease.
It is such a blessing to let go of the control of the thinking mind and to become my own master again and having control over my mind instead.
This is a gorgeous reminder Chris to stay present with our bodies and the joy felt when we make this choice – ‘when that connection is strong I can see the beauty in what is around me. I can see the beauty in everyone that I interact with.’
Over-thinking things, if we are actually able to catch ourselves in the process (as you’ve shared here Chris), can be something we choose to learn from, and learn deeply, can’t it…
As in, why would we second guess ourselves? Why would we need to run something from the past or the future, over and over and over in our minds, thereby disconnecting ourselves from the present moment? There will always be something underlying here to address – whether through our own exploration and/or with the support of a wise practitioner, it is well worth digging a little deeper and addressing why our mind is being ruled by nervous energy (in the over-thinking) in the first place…
Indeed Victoria, that will be a wise thing to do, to explore why for heaven sake we wonder in our mind while we have a life in the here and now where we have the opportunity over and over again to learn and to evolve. While we are not ‘at home’ so to say, we do miss the wondrousness of this and stay trapped in the old way of living and in fact stay bereft of the many evolutionary steps which are on offer for us all the time.
How powerfully and truly we can actually respond to any situation or conversation, when we are present with ourselves and our own bodies…
I’ve also found it futile to try to plan any conversation ‘ahead’ of time Chris – the whole notion coming from anxiousness and lack of presence in the first place, and then actually robbing the other involved of receiving ‘us’, instead receiving a rehearsed response that is not in the slightest bit authentic.
‘Oops, there I go again’; what beautiful, gentle self talk to reconnect to our true selves and purpose. Thank you Chris for the timely reminder to not over-think things but to live from the wisdom of our heart and body.
Thank you Chris for sharing all this – I can relate to what you say about how healing it can be to truly observe our thoughts – to see if they are running off in distractions or worry that serves no real purpose and if so to bring our mind back to the simplicity of being with the task at hand and not over-planning ahead or getting lost in worrying abut something we can’t control.
There is so much in a moment when we allow ourselves to be fully present.
Brilliant Fumiyo, I practiced what you described as I read your comment and felt the same expansion in my own body. It really works.
Brilliant blog Chris. I’ve wasted so much time avoiding the present moment. You remind me that I am missing out on the gift presence (or should I say presents!) brings. 🎁
I notice it can be very time consuming when I am either thinking about the past or planning ahead. Committing to life in full is being present with myself but when my mind is wandering I am not committing and taking responsibility and moments can slip by without me even realising it. It is consistently catching those moments and simply making a choice to let them go to bring myself back to my body.
Exactly Lieke – it is a great point. How can we actually prepare for a conversation or our encounters during the day with only the mind? We have a whole body that is totally intelligent and connected to more than we can see, so letting the preparation come from here, in how we regard and care for the body, makes a lot more sense.
For me, thinking and being in my mind is the ultimate form of distraction away from my body… Why? Because being aware of the body comes with responsibility to feel what is happening within and around me and also feel the consequences of how I move and care for the body. Instead of looking at this as something bad, I’m now very much changing how I am and realising that the awareness of and my connection to the body is actually like my best friend!
“When my mind is busy with thinking about things that have not even happened yet, there is a sense of agitation or worry that this brings, and I feel unease in my body.” I have been working with noticing these moments more and more and have found they can be incredibly subtle but the tension is clearly there. For me it creeps in and squashes space in my body and predominantly in my neck, I collapse it. Since noticing, I have been able to catch it earlier and make a choice to stay in the present moment. As you say, I will be ready for whatever conversation I am going to have if I am present in my body and if I don’t squash my neck and throat I might actually be able to talk!
I agree Chris and can certainly relate to what you have shared. When I am not in connection with myself, not present with what I am doing my mind is no longer working for me but rather working against me. Through the disconnection my mind is led by another energy running me in circles, running me down, distracting me, exhausting me and basically directing me away from the power that I can bring when I am in connection with myself, my heart, Soul through which my mind then works with me.
Chris, I can so relate to this as I too could go over and over something and truly drain myself and give myself a hard time through it all. At those times where it tries to come back in, I call it out and make sure my next movement is super, super tender and with myself, and I confirm to myself, this is me.
This is something I am constantly aware of within myself and it is exhausting. The Gentle Breath Meditation has supported me to become more aware of how prevalent this is in my life and means that I am catching myself more consistently before I ‘wander off’ with the next thought or conversation in my head. Trusting that I am enough has been part of what’s been happening. When we choose to not claim how amazing we are and that the truth and words for everything lie within us, we are more likely to go into ‘trying’ to get the words we want to say right, and thinking and re-thinking over and over again.
I can’t help thinking about how much our poor physiology suffers when we repetitively think or plan or relive an event. It must be confusing as it tries to act and prepare for each as if it is happening in real time. No wonder much of the world is suffering from exhaustion!
Absolutely true: what a waste to think about things twice!
To not allow my mind to wander off means I can bring all of who I am into the task I am doing in any given moment, bringing my full attention and focus into it. This makes life richer, more joyful and the product or outcome of my activity of higher energetic quality and a greater support for all.
When we are thinking about things yet to be, not only are we not present on the moment at hand, but we also set up anxiety in our bodies thinking about something we can’t possibly know about because we’re not there yet. Pretty daft for sure but also tremendously irresponsible.
Great title! “While its attention is right with me now and focussing on what I am actually doing, that doing comes with a loving imprint that brings an easy connection with me, with my innermost (what is truly me). And when that connection is strong I can see the beauty in what is around me. I can see the beauty in everyone that I interact with.” So very true. Such a waste of time and energy to be anticipating the future and then worrying over past events. As you say only when staying present with the task in hand is the mind ‘a useful tool’.
Ironically, living in the future and not the present moment is the quickest way to not live the future now.
When we live in connection with ourselves with both mind and body in harmony, there is nothing to fear because there are no ‘missing bits’. But when we let our minds run renegade to the physical form they inhabit we have a situation at odds with itself. Sensing that something is wrong and that there are parts missing, instead of re-connecting the dots, we get completely caught up in the game of trying to control the situation by preplanning all our future moves, which just leads to more disparity and the dots moving further apart! Arresting this game is very liberating and brings a great settlement to both the body and the mind, who are designed to work with each other and never against.
‘And I surprise myself over and over again, that what I need to say is there when it’s needed, without any rehearsal, and without the waste of thinking about it beforehand.’ I couldn’t agree more. Planning a conversation never works out well for me. All it does is to create anxiety and apprehension, so these days, thanks to the inspiration of Universal Medicine, if I find myself doing this, I stop and bring myself back to what is going on right at that moment.
I agree Chris, thinking can be so over rated, a huge distraction, very exhausting and all in all , as you say , a huge waste of time.
Sometimes I don’t even have to think – I simply know.
I can definitely relate to the exhaustion and distraction of a ‘busy brain’ as I had a habit of chewing everything over in my mind. Learning the Gentle Breath has been a gift from Heaven and now whenever I find my mind becoming busy I bring me back to me.
Chris there is no doubt about it you made it very clear in your amazing blog that thinking things twice is really a waste of time.
No doubt that trying to stop the mind thinking or wandering is not at all achievable. The gentle breath is the first meditation out of many I have tried, which is highly relatable to life and becomes a check in with where my attention is and my relationship with my body and my movement. It is a simple bringing me back to myself, which supports being able to observe and not absorb what is going on around me. Thank you Universal Medicine for this amazing tool and to Chris for bringing a great understanding to it which will very well serve anyone who finds their heads run away with them.
I can so relate to your blog Chris. I used to do this a lot, think things over and over and over again, I agree it is exhausting. Rehearsing conversations and replaying the past ones doesn’t support us in any way but drains us of our energy. Now, I am learning to be present with myself and be fully present with what I am doing instead of thinking about a millions things I have to do next. Choosing to be fully connected to myself in everything I do, supports me to discard stress, exhaustion and anxiety. The Gentle Breath Meditation is a deeply supportive tool to support me with this.
Every time I read someone’s experience of the Gentle Breath Meditation I wonder why I’m not doing this everyday. I seem to conveniently forget about it and the power of this simple move to be with myself. Instead, when I’m feeling distracted in the mind I try to change my thoughts or tell myself to focus on what I’m doing. But this is like putting water on an oil fire (makes it so much worse!) as I’m just using the mind to combat the mind, which keeps me locked in the mind. By practicing the Gentle Breath Mediation it calls for more presence, it calls for settlement and it calls for body awareness and for the mind to come in line.
I just trailed off when you were talking about how you trail off task at times, Chris. Interesting thing is that I can still be reading and go through a whole paragraph without even knowing what I’m reading because my thoughts are elsewhere. That’s pretty interesting to me, so who is actually doing the reading and how are my eyes still working without me being in the drivers seat? The understanding that we are vehicles of energy makes sense when I look at this scenario and how our thoughts and movement determine what energy will be fuelling and running through our body. So, not being present is pretty much saying, ‘here’s a body with no one home, come and get it!’ and we leave ourselves open to influence by an energy that is not true to who we are. Where as, when we are present, we are calling the shots and through our awareness can feel the quality of energy we are in and aligned to.
We think WAY too much – and you are right, it’s a total waste of energy. You’re blog really presents life from a totally different angle and has really got me pondering on how much I over think, and on what topics replay in my mind daily.
I too have often thought about how exhausting and what a waste of energy all the worry and non-present thoughts are. None of the disasters I have worried about in my life have happened or if they have happened they have turned out not to be a disaster at all. These days I don’t worry about things so much, I think it is one of the advantages of being older and wiser!
Well said Chris, this is so true that we waste so much time thinking of things that has already happened or is yet to happen. And not with our full presence of what is that we are doing right now. So then that too becomes another subject to think about later, how we “should have” and “could have” in our future thinking. This a great subject to keep bringing to our awareness. Where are we right now?
This article resonates with me as when I look back at all the mental energy and the made up stories my mind orchestrated, what a complete waste of time and energy it was because very rarely did things play out the way my mind had led me to think.
Ah Chris, I can so relate to the thinking and thinking and more thinking (!) – trying to solve situations and scenarios in my head, either before they’ve happened or after! It’s easier for me to recognise these days when I ‘am’ in my head (having a think party!!) and a tell-tale sign for me is looking for food (or another distraction), bumping into things, forgetting things, not hearing what someone has said in a conversation etc – all things which are gentle signs I’m in my head not my body!
I can totally relate to what you have shared Chris, the numerous times I have rehearsed something in my head or engaged in overthinking never really got me anywhere and bought in complications most of the time. Learning to be fully present in the moment is a work in progress but a worthwhile one and allows me to trust and know that everything will be provided when I am truly connected to me.
This is a great blog Chris. I can totally attest to what you’ve shared, and agree that when we think about what we have to do, plans for later in the day or conversations numerous times before they happen (although even thinking about it just once is enough to affect us), we develop an expectation – good or bad – about how that is going to play out. Thus we approach the person or task already with an issue about what’s going to be said/done – and it hasn’t even happened yet!
It’s great to re-read this and be reminded to trust that whatever is needed will be there at the time without pre-empting what to say which is really only a manipulation.
A great blog Chris, thank you, I can relate to what you have written, I go into what I call second guessing which sends my mind around and around with the same problem, I have since learnt to trust myself and what I say more, and if I have made a mistake then there is something for me to learn. When thoughts of what to say at some future event enter I am starting to press the delete button as soon as they appear and come back to the body with the task at hand.
‘My mind is actually quite a useful tool, as long as it stays on task’…. So very very true Chris for when we drift off with the fairies complication can rear its ugly head almost immediately.
Keeping the Gentle Breath in your toolkit is well worth it. I can safely say that it’s not magic, however it gives you an opportunity to stop when you’re in a bit of a mess upstairs. It doesn’t mean your mind won’t wander off again, as it certainly does for me, but as you’ve said Chris, depending on how far off your mind has gone, depends on how easy or not it is to come back to your body. Even reading this article I found I couldn’t keep connected to simply reading it, instead I had a long list of things I wanted to get done straight after reading it.
Chris, I just love this article. I read it yesterday and then again today because this weekend, I’ve spent an enormous time having conversations in my mind that I imagine might play out at work this week. Whilst I had difficulty stopping them, I had this article in another window of my mind reminding me that it was a pointless exercise. How stubborn we can be!
Chris, this is an awesome article! And a timely one at that. I am super skilled at overthinking, and I’d greatly appreciate losing that skill. It makes perfect sense that it would be ridiculous to plan a conversation in advance, or stew over one that happened in the past, for neither situation can actually be controlled so long as it involves another person. Being present with the task at hand is a most valuable skill.
Very well said Amelia. I have been a serial offender when it comes to allowing my mind to race around everywhere except be with my body in whatever is happening right at the present moment. In fact I have taken pride in being able to ‘think ahead’; ‘think things through’; and to go back over situations in hindsight, thinking what went well, what didn’t go well and what I could do differently if something similar happened in the future. As Chris has shown this is a complete waste of energy. It makes my mind believe it is very important but leaves me disconnected from my body and therefore quite exhausted and drained. This is slowly changing and I am finding that the more present I can stay with my body, the more the words I need to express in any given situation are right there at the time.
It’s extraordinary how something so accepted, so pervasive, so encouraged as ‘thinking’ is so grossly mismanaged by humanity… if we could just feel the true intelligence of the heart and allow this to lead us what a different world this would be.
It requires us to master the skill of self-observing in order to manage the mind. Yes, it’s ‘actually quite a useful tool’ when it’s serving its purpose. But when it goes off on a frolic of its own, that requires a commitment from us to discern and reign it in rather than finding ourselves moments later in the distraction of scripting, shaping or rehearsing future events or replaying and editing historical ones. Using our breath as a means of focusing the mind on the here and now is a fabulous way of creating a moment when the mind and the body are synchronised around the same thing.
Oh yes the stupidity of thinking about things twice – if only it was only twice?! Having spent most of my life projecting into the future and running over past interactions I had so little time left to be in the present that it was completely exhausting. The Gentle Breath meditation was life changing for me and gradually I have become more present in my life and let go of the crippling self-doubt that kept me in constant anxiety about what was to come and what had gone before. The beauty of being truly present is that life flows so much more smoothly and I am present to enjoy it.
Such a practical sharing, Chris and one that affects most of us, I am sure. I realise that it is a waste of time and so harmful to my body when my thoughts are taking me places that are nothing to do with where I am at at that moment. When this happens I get anxious about things which will probably never happen! Being consciously present is such a loving way to be and I am aware of this every day.
It is amazing the amount of times I can wander off into replaying conversations or imagining different scenarios. I use it as an escape from my reality, sometimes to say things i wish i had said but held back. It happens a lot less now, but I find if I feel myself want to start that I need to stop and ask what is fuelling the anxiety.
A great blog Chris and a subject I can relate to very well, having spent most of my life indulging in over thinking things and playing out scenarios in my head. I have been letting go of this pattern and still need to watch myself at times and find the Gentle Breath Meditation or a walk will support me to come back to my body and be more present when the mind gets too active.
Reading this blog, I remember how I used to feel rather cloudy in my head a lot of times and I had no idea why – and right now, I am actually feeling a bit of that too. Trying to sort out many things and plotting and planning them in my head over and over was how it has been for me for the last week. Perfect timing for me to be reminded of how powerful that simple technique of Gentle Breath Meditation is. Thank you.
This is a great read Chris and is exactly what I’ve done for most of my life thinking that if I have everything rehearsed and sorted everything will be fine. Problem is no one else is reading the same script! It keeps us disconnected from ourselves and as you’ve said is utterly exhausting.
Interestingly enough Lee often we don’t need to think twice as the answer is given with such simplicity. When we doubt the ease that the simplicity brings we then go into over thinking and thinking about things twice.
It certainly is a waste to think twice! I know for many years I have got lost in self doubt listening to my minds worry instead of my inner hearts knowing! Thank God we have been offered so much in the way of the Gentle Breath Medication and presentations by Serge Benhayon. It is truly life changing to reconnect to that innate knowing. In the heart there is no second guessing!
I had a little chuckle with myself over reading your sharing this morning Chris as I can relate very well with this, as I constantly dip my toe in with this scenario. It is so wearing to keep regurgitating and rearranging well rehearsed thoughts over and over,anticipating what could be or should be, is it, isn’t it, will it won’t it!!! It is a true gift to have the Gentle Breath Meditation to stop the constant mind chatter and once again restore our inner stillness/connection.
Thank you Chris, I can feel how when we start thinking about an event that has not happened we get caught up in the illusion of what we think it will be like, when in reality everything maybe completely different, it is not only draining and exhausting it is also dangerousness to make assumptions.
It is a profound , revealing , and wonderful feeling when one starts to experience the intelligence of the heart as the base line of awareness. Everything else has its place and is needed, but must not lead, as it is only the intelligence of the heart that encompass a big enough picture to embrace all of humanity.
No wonder exhaustion is so common.
We are doing one thing and thinking about another…and not only thinking about it once but over and over. I have found that by becoming aware of yourself and engaging in the moment I am able to become much more efficient and fully present in all that I do.
Me too nicolesjardin way more efficient and effective with more energy to embrace whatever life presents in the moment.
Lovely blog Chris. Both entertaining and true. What I can especially relate to is the fact that when I catch myself drifting of thinking about something else I can feel my body hardening up. Worrying about things in my mind has an enormous effect on my body. As soon as I return to the moment my body is able to let go again. What I have also noticed – since I am really paying attention – is that when people greet me or smile at me I am sometimes a fraction too late to answer there attempt to connect because I was miles away in my head. I can feel true sadness in my heart when this happens.
Chris thank you, its so true ‘The stupidity of thinking about things twice’ when we are thinking of something else, we bring in complication. When I am only doing one thing, with no distractions it flows simply and is completed reasonably quickly, and when I’m thinking of something else it takes me ages to finish a simple task simply because my mind is somewhere else, and I complicate the whole issue.
Yes I have become aware that when I am going over and over in my mind about what I have to do, or what has already happened and not being with myself in the present moment is when I will have to check it again, because I am not certain whether I have missed something which then takes me much longer to complete. The mind is a fantastic tool if we are in control of it, but when we allow it to control us it can be very sabotaging and that is when I can lose things, or not perform a task with the same responsibility as when my mind is on the job and I am also likely to knock myself, which in the past I would not have even really noticed, but now realise how abusive this is to my body. Staying in the present moment with myself is a far more caring and loving way to be.
So simple and so powerful. The Gentle Breath Meditation seems almost too good to be true, until you give it a go and then ‘pow’ it shows its true power effortlessly.
The mind is an incredible tool, but as you say – I watch mine wander off at times and go down all sorts of alley ways, dead ends etc. The trick for me is exercise – staying connected to my body no matter what is happening. It reminds me that I am alot more than just a head, and that maybe there are other organs (like the heart) that are much more intelligent than the head because they have answers that do not require any study! Just to be felt…
As I read through this blog I could I feel I was bringing my focus to now and what I was reading more and more which is great as I can feel even in reading how I can wonder off or just skim over the words. Even when I go over a scenario or what I might say in my head quite often the scenario never happens and if the conversation is had I say something completely different so yes as you say tiring and a waste of time and energy.
So many times I’ve repeated scenarios in my head of what could be, what was and what might possibly happen – trying to predict an outcome. Phew!!!! that’s so tiring and at times exhausting. Working with the ‘what is’ in the present moment our bodies must breath a huge sigh of relief. It is as you share such a waste to think about things twice. The Gentle Breath Meditation as presented by Serge Benhayon is such a gift to ourselves to bring us back to that connection within and stillness. Awesome sharing Chris thank you.
Have you noticed how, when fully present with your self, you don’t need to plan anything and you get so much more achieved in an organised and sequential way? This has been my experience with the gentle breath meditation and is has certainly been life changing.
It’s true, when you’re connected, all flows even if things crop up that were unexpected, your ability to work with every situation rather than go into panic is hugely increased.
I could relate to what you have shared here Chris so very well. Thinking about things twice as you say is something I would do constantly and I have been made aware just how ingrained a pattern it had become. I am now more aware of it and find that I can bring myself back a lot quicker . The Gentle Breath Meditation helps considerably and I don’t feel as anxious and sucked into the drama that thinking of things ahead of time can tend to do.
Thank you Chris I loved reading this great post again and laughed to myself on how you say the stupidity of thinking about things twice, and how much time we waste in thinking about unnecessary things and trying to be in several places at once rather than focus on the task at hand. The gentle breath meditation and coming back to the body has been a key to keeping me present, the best tool in my tool box by far.
“What a waste it is to think about things twice!” – I totally agree Chris. Not only is it a waste of time, it is exhausting living every situation more than once.
I’m learning to trust that everything I need to say or do will be know in the moment (unless of course there is a certain preparation required, eg: learning to walk a tight rope, rather than expecting I can first time). It’s a silly mental game to pre-empt everything all of the time and highlights how much energy we burn if we allow insecurities to fester and not heal them at the source.
Your blog describes beautifully how much time I wasted on thinking about things. Being a big thinker, I really have to discipline my mind more still, because what is created seems always so real and so important to then think about it. Your blog reminds me what an illusion it is to think anyway. So the STOP in me will be even louder now !
This is such a timely blog for me to come to today Chris. It has reminded me how much time I have spent re-playing the past and creating scenarios in my mind of how tomorrow might play out – as you say, what a waste of precious energy. I too have found that the Gentle Breath Meditation is the best and simplest tool to bring me back to what matters the most – the present. How much more enjoyable and less exhausting it is to live in the now!
I can really relate to what you are saying here , Chris, as my mind can lead me on a merry dance into the future and it feels like pure indulgence when I do not pull myself back to my body. I am learning to let my body feel what is happening now and align my mind to that as I realise that my body is the marker of truth and my mind if not aligned just leads me astray!
I was thinking about this blog when I read it and now it is over I am not going to waste another second on writing a comment or thinking about it as the moment is over…haha joking. I really loved its earthiness, it is a really great point you raise, a universal issue that may indeed heal most of the ills we have in the world. It is not only stupidity thinking twice but I am pretty sure your body thinks it is physically doing what it is thinking wether it is moving or not. There-fore exhausting yourself for no reason.
‘My mind is actually quite a useful tool, as long as it stays on task.’ Absolutely Chris but it can be quite a challenge to not go back and forth in my mind, especially when my work is very busy and demanding. As you say this gives the body a very uneasy feeling and I know that is not me. In the past I could get quite serious about it but now I am more able to observe all those crazy thoughts. Bringing myself back to me is done with love and understanding for myself, actually it can be very playful too.
This was great to read Chris, and a beautiful reminder when the mind chatter starts up the Gentle Breath Meditation will always support you to re-connect and be more present in the body and less active in the mind.
This is a great blog Chris, I’d be quite interested to see the amount my life I have wasted being off in fairy land,thinking things twice or multiple times and worrying about events that never actually happened. Or maybe I wouldn’t want to know it would be too frightening.
I’d like to say that is all a thing of the past, but all that stuff was so ingrained it is taking time and practice getting my mind and body to totally hang together.
Such a waste of time to be thinking about something while our body is doing something else. I also feel a sense of ease and clarity when my mind is with my body. I feel that that’s when I truly come alive, when I am expressing in my body and my mind is just going along with it. It’s a different perspective on life. We walk around enjoying our body and our movements rather than using our body to complete tasks that are outside of us, but never feeling and stillness or joy in our own body.
Indeed, dare I say what a waste of time it is to think… When the intelligence of our heart and that deep connection within us know so much more than what the mind has contrived to learn and configure, to start to trust the deep inner knowing that enables us to be where we are meant to be, to be with whom we are meant to be with, and feel and know everything that we need to know that opens up the path of return back to who we truly are… Yes I do dare to say this, because it has been proven to me again and again that this is true.
I have definitely exhausted myself with the playing through the many scenarios. It would mean i was going into the situation with so many preconceived ideas and possible options or outcomes I was not open to what was actually being shared. So I would come across as bossy or I would talk over the top of poeple. The need to stay in control was driven by fear and insecurity. The Gentle Breath medication gave me a tool to be able let me know how connected I was it was fail safe, easy free and portable (it can be done any where and at any time).
So many valid points in this Chris, thank you. It’s great to hear someone else admit to the crazy things our mind can do when we let it go unobserved!
In the latest retreats, Serge has really helped me understand how much you can choose what thoughts you are thinking by aligning absolutely to who you truly are and not any old energy floating by.
Its a great experience to feel ‘ something starting’ in the mind that’s not evolving your self and any one else and just stop it in its tracks.
Hi Chris, I can really relate to the continual thinking, I used to feel like I was on a merry go round. When I came to realise that this over thinking that I was doing was me going into comfort, I started to become more aware that when I did it, that there was something going on that I did not want to feel. Now with the gentle breath I can come back to me and feel what my body is telling me.
Wow Chris what gets me in your powerful blog is following sentences: “When my mind is busy with thinking about things that have not even happened yet, there is a sense of agitation or worry that this brings, and I feel unease in my body.” I can very much relate to this and this is a good reminder for me to know that I have lost myself in thoughts.
So often I am finding myself thinking about what has happened in the past, what I said or someone else said. I do pull myself up on this if I remember and catch myself doing this. Then there are the times I over think what to say and how to express it. To come back to connecting to myself with the Gentle Breath is a great Idea. Thank you Chris.
Yes indeed the thinking, when you start thinking of it…. ;-), is useless. I have found out just like you that just showing up and be present with what there is and let it enfold from there is the big practice. I find my mind is not believing that it is that simple. It likes to complicate things, to…think about things! So coming back to the body e.g.via the Gentle Breath Meditation is an excellent way to build a foundation for not going into thought, but trust the bodily connection instead.
“So clear that I now notice very quickly when I am doing that, and bring my mind back to what is happening right now. And that means coming back to feel my body. To feel a connection with myself that is missing when I go off with the fairies.” – Yes, Chris, I have also noticed how quickly I recognise this nowadays.
Just the title of your beautiful blog is so inspiring. Simple – how time-consumig, how breathtaking, how emptying it is to think twice about something. And how complete the moment becomes, when I simply allow it to unfold. Gentle Breath rocks.
Thank you Chris for this article. I can remember when I had a habit of thinking things such as “This time tomorrow I’ll be doing this or that, or this time yesterday or last week or month or year etc etc” Once I realised how exhausting and distracting and harming this was the habit stopped. Being present in the moment is much more joyful.
So true, the mind can be our biggest stress inducer, unless we are in charge and use it as our tool, it can run us into exhaustion.
I can tend to go over things when I want to plan, prepare or control a situation so it all goes smoothly and I feel safe. However I have found, especially through making Esoteric Yoga a part of my life, that this is a belief and I actually feel safe when I am just with me, in my body rather than off with thoughts. Then, as you say interactions are much fuller and there is an ease there too.
It totally is a waste!
I am sometimes stressing about time but sometimes i’m stressed because I have so many different things running through my mind, that I am not working on. What I am working on is not even stressful if I gave it the focus that it needs.
I am definitely going to take more notice now when I am thinking about the same thing twice or multiple times and ask if I really need to be thinking about it or if it’s a way to avoid being totally focussed on what is in front of me at that point in time.
Chris, your blog was a timely reminder for me to stay present with what I am doing. I woke this morning with my mind racing, planning for a busy week ahead. Since reading what you have shared I can now feel what a complete waste of time this is.
I agree it is a waste of time thinking about what may happen or what you may need to say before the situation occurs. If we stay connected to our bodies by using techniques such as the gentle breath meditation, which only takes 5 min to do, these thoughts do not enter.
Great blog Chris, it is a waste of time and also our precious energy when we have this constant internal dialogue going on. Very counter productive from my experience. The beautiful thing is we do have the tools to bring ourselves back. The Gentle Breath Meditation is a simple yet power tool as is the Esoteric Yoga, which keeps me connected with my body. Like you, when in presence everything I need is just there, and flows quite naturally.
Chris, I so fully know what you are talking about here. So many times in the past I have played out the scenario of what might be said on meeting a person. Not once can I ever remember the conversation going as I had thought it in my head. A waste of time and energy is a grose understatement. It also created much anxiety in my body as much of the way I was thinking was to protect myself from being hurt. This is now mostly no longer how I live, if I do find myself going into this old pattern, like you I return to my body, in doing this I choose a different way to be in the moment, giving me the freedom to choose which way I want to live.
Very true Chris! Thinking twice is a sign that we feel we are not enough and we prepare to compensate this in advance or that we try to analyse ex post what could we have done better -there is a judgement that we did not perform as we could have. So thinking twice is all about performance and performance is about anxiousness.
I love the playfulness and truth of this blog, it made me laugh out loud, and yes I can see me in this too. Thank you Chris for a much needed and great reminder.
The title of this blog made me smile, as I waste so much time and energy debating in my head, more than twice. Perfect timing to read, not from judging or being critical of myself, but just simply seeing the funny side and absurdity of it all. No wonder we get so drained at times. If I could watch from above I’d be like what are doing, life is so simple so why make a fuss about it all.
Great points you make here Chris. We all know the saying “there is no time like the present” but how many of us truly believe this. For me it has been a process of valuing the present moment, feeling it of equal importance to anything that might happen in the future. It is so easy to escape into our minds of a future that will bring us something more than what this moment can bring. But how ridiculous is this? There is only this moment and the only way to connect with it is through being with our body, not through thinking! This changed my life when I discovered this through the teachings of Universal Medicine and oh what a blessing, not to give power to my thoughts, but to come back to my body and learn to reside from my body instead of my mind.
Thank you Chris and Donna, how simple is it to connect to what we are doing while we are doing it? Why is it so difficult at times to stay connected to this simple approach to living? Serge Benhayon presents about connecting to the soul and not the distracting spirit! When we connect to ourselves first through the gentle breath, this is giving permission for the higher mind to be present, which takes the connection to the true self to a deeper level. Allowing this to be a Livingness then brings awareness to stay consciously present to the best of our ability!
This is great Chris, thank you. I love “I have become an observer of myself and can now own up to what I do without trying to defend it”. Simply the way to go!
I never realised how exhausting thinking about things before or after they had happened was. It was not until I brought more of a present way of thinking to my daily life that I noticed how much more energy I had, and I also found I had much less anxiety.
Great point made here Chris. Another way of summing-up the same sorts of experiences for me is to say: that trusting that I’m enough, in any given situation, without having to find a way of bolstering myself before hand (ie via thought), makes for a much more fluid experience in life. The amount of energy we waste in thinking about something that will take place, or stewing on what already has, is absolutely incredible at times!
Thinking about what might happen or what to say brings me self doubt and criticism and it will never give me the answer. The answer is there when I express with me in the moment when it is needed to be said. Reading your blog is a great reminder to observe and being there and the Gentle Breath Meditation is for me the first meditation ever that I use on a daily basis because it brings me back to me.
Top blog Chris. I clearly remember the conversations I had with myself about events that haven’t even happened yet. As you say, a complete waste of time as generally the situation would change to something totally different. Although doing the Gentle Breath Meditation has really helped in bringing myself to whatever task I am doing, like you, I still catch myself just starting to go into a dialogue in my head. These occasions are quite rare now so when it does happen I notice it a lot quicker and find it easier to get back to myself.
‘What I need to say is there when it’s needed’. I have also had this experience – the more I allow myself to be present with me and with what I am doing, the easier it is to express myself in that moment, and what needs to be said is just there to be expressed.
Wow Chris, it really works. The Gentle Breath Meditation is like you say, the catalyst for change.
Chris, what you have shared here is so familiar to me. I have allowed my mind to take over and make up stories or have future fictitious conversations with people over and over in my life. Reading this blog has been such an amazing reminder to bring it back to basics and feel my body, through the gentle breath, be the observer, know what I am going into that head space that it is an indication that I am not feeling connected with myself, so use the gentle breath to bring me back to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Such a timely reminder, I thoroughly loved what you have shared.
I enjoyed coming back to your blog, Chris. There is a stupidity of thinking about things twice, or in my case four or five times. It’s easy to get caught in this spin, but the gentle breath meditation is such a perfect counter to the turmoil and fast pace of life as it resets everything back into still waters again.
Once again I come to read this blog, coming from a slightly different perspective than before. It shows me how just reading something once and then never returning to it is not a wise move, much wiser is to return and ask myself have I applied what has been shared since last reading this or not? Being present with myself does bring a feeling of steadiness whereas when my mind is flitting here and there writing and re-writing script after script my body feels uneasy. Being present is a great tool of quality control I am still learning to accept and appreciate. That feeling of steadiness feels natural, there are no doubts. There is something deep within me that knows that steadiness is true and right and anything that is out of that steadiness is not true.
Hi Chris,
The one area which instantly came to mind when you wrote about thinking about how something can go or did go afterwards, was job interviews. I would get so caught up in preparation and then critique afterwards. I have definitely found that being present (no perfection here), I see more and worry less… it’s really something magical, and it takes no effort at all!
Thank you for sharing.
‘I have definitely found that being present (no perfection here), I see more and worry less… it’s really something magical, and it takes no effort at all!’ So true Cheryl and the clarity of seeing more is so expansive that there is no space to worry and project just a solidness of feeling what is required in any moment.
What a great exposing, Chris – I can so relate to thinking that if I think about several things at once then I get more done. I was very caught up in this and as a result, it completely affects me in the moment. What you write here is so true and shows how wasteful it is to let our minds take us in all different directions. It is like ageing ourselves early and losing the magic of the moment we are in!
Hi Chris, great blog! As I read it sparked something in my mind and I totally went off thinking in that direction while still reading and had to chuckle at the irony before coming back and reading with my full attention. I saw so much of myself in your article. I still catch myself going into worry mode but nowhere near how I used to be.
Chris, this is exactly the behaviour I have had most of my life, you describe it so well. All I know is that after 30 years of doing this, I feel deep exhaustion in my body and little wonder, as it’s like I am living the future, the present and the past all at once – my mind has been on one big marathon. I would have continued to consider this behaviour as a ‘normal’ way of surviving through life and not admitted my exhaustion, had it not been for the honest reflection of Universal Medicine and their dedicated practitioners.
I also find It is exhausting when I go over and over things in my mind, or when I am doing something and my mind wanders. It is so true when you say, “It is so much better for me to be thinking about what I am doing right now” The gentle breath mediation is the key tool that has supported the enormous shifts in my ability to stay present with what I am doing. My body feels so supported and open when I choose to connect in this way and it is so natural and easy to do, with such profound effects.
It is a great observation of how the mind will go over the same thing over and over again, if left to it’s own devises. I used to do this a lot and in the end I would get up and do the task so that the thought would be released. I agree it is exhausting.
I agree with everyone – in keeping my mind on what I am doing at any given time keeps my life simple and I find I use my time more wisely.
This article made me smile. I could have had a PhD in chewing over things I had done or said that could have been done or said differently and all the possible different outcomes as well as anticipating all the things I had to do – definitely a busy brain. The gentle breath is the best medicine to heal this affliction and bring me gently back to the present.
I can relate to this so well and also to the benefits of the Gentle Breath Meditation. The meditation is so simple yet so profound in that through it one regains connection with ones body in everything one does enabling with far greater focus and I have found that beneficial in so many ways.
Great expose of the way our mind plays out scenarios and that we subconsciously engage in this. As you said it is often a complete waste of time. By becoming aware of yourself and engaging in the moment you are able to become much more efficient and fully present in all that you do.
On my second read of this blog the observation part stood out to me this time. Re-learning to focus on being present with myself is about being practical. In the sense that I bring my attention to what I am doing right now, in this case it is typing. It seems silly to have to remind myself of what I am doing in the moment but for so long I have just performed actions that I have no recollection of their experience. Just a sense of I am here – blank moment – now I am here, but how was I during that middle part? If I am not aware of how I am I can easily get lost, which leads to all manner of unsettling feelings.
A great observation Chris, the mind can completely take over if we let it, and it can feel difficult to control but the Gentle Breath Meditation is so simple, and really supports coming back to feeling our body and to what is happening now. I’m much better at reining in those thoughts because of it, and can feel the stress and tension in my body it causes. Life is so much more simple when I can focus on what I’m doing now and trust that I know what to say in the moment, and my body isn’t anxious. If I actually plan those conversations, then I don’t allow what is really there to be said in the moment, as when I planned it the moment hadn’t arrived.
Anxiety happens when our minds mind wander and repeat thoughts about the future, and steadiness and joy fill us when we focus our mind with our body in the present moment. Simple, true and beautiful, thank you Chris.
Thanks Chris Baker, I loved reading this and could say ditto to plenty of what you are sharing here. I was Mrs Multi-Task and recently my mother told my sister she noticed I could no longer multi-task and thought I had ‘lost it’ in some way! For me, it was the biggest compliment as it confirmed that I had finally changed.
My head was always in the way and I called it doing a “post-mortem” – the event, situation or whatever had passed and I would be going over it having stupid and totally irrelevant thoughts. In fact I used to live like that everyday. It made no sense and it was so entrenched in me that I could not stop that pattern. Add to that things that had not yet happened and I became a recipe of constant raciness and anxiousness and I felt exhausted. When I came across the Gentle Breath Meditation as presented by Serge Benhayon in 2006 things started to change and now I can claim that I focus my mind on what I am doing and my mind no longer controls me or runs away with silly thoughts.
This has also made my life very simple and that means a lot to me.
Thank you Chris, reading your blog this morning reminded me to stay focussed on what I am doing and not waste my time thinking about things that haven’t happened yet.
I remember my mind going out of control at age 9 when I was anxious about speaking to a teacher the next day about feeling behind in math class…it was agonizing! I realize that the further I get away from feeling/being with me and my body the more out of control my mind gets; a life-long struggle until now!
The Gentle Breath meditation IS the best tool I’ve ever found in gathering myself together with my mind. The best tool in my tool-box by far.
When my mind is with me I know what’s going on so there is no anxiety, I am equipped to respond in the moment and I don’t get exhausted doing so many things (virtually) at once!
On reading this I wandered off at least three times! Wooha cowboy where you going now?! To stay present with presence – this is where the power is and yet I seem to actively avoid presence, hmm.. does that mean I am playing a game where I am deliberately avoiding my power? or feeling more of what is there to be felt in the present? …hmm
Like you, the Gentle Breath meditation and coming back to the body has been a key to keep me present and only wandering off so many times and not constantly like I did in the past. As my old school reports used to say ‘Vanessa is easily distracted and could try harder’. There is definitely room for improvement, however I greatly appreciate that I have made great leaps from where I was before discovering Universal Medicine.
So true that to think and think again is a waste of time and energy. Trusting we have what we need to say in each moment and using the breath to stay present, it’s so simple it’s perfect! It requires a commitment I haven’t mastered yet, but it’s great to have the tools to make life less of a struggle.
Chris, your statement;
“And I surprise myself over and over again, that what I need to say is there when it’s needed”, is very true for me. If I worry too much about what I’m going to say,
my brain goes into ‘scan’ mode, rather like those radios that hop from channel to channel, hunting for the strongest signal. On the other hand, if I just ‘relax into it’,
the words just come of their own accord.
I can certainly relate to over-thinking things or my mind wandering off from what I am doing in the moment. I’ve found the Gentle Breath Meditation really helpful too, it’s helped me become more aware of my thoughts and how present I am and as this builds it becomes more obvious when I’m second guessing myself or getting distracted. Planning, I still do, but the excessive worrying is clearer to see and let go of.
I know what you mean Chris. When I am with the moment, fully engaged with life and expressing from my truth I feel such simplicity and ease. Once I start trying to rehearse a meeting or task, it gets complicated and drains me of vital energy. Lately I’ve come to learn that although it is a fine line, the difference between paying attention and being present is huge. It’s easy to pay attention to a conversation or task but at the same time be withdrawn and not present.
Thank you Chris, this blog shares so much of what has been and sometimes still is so true in my life. The part I particularly relate to is planning conversations in my head which I came to realise did actually play out when I was in that situation. As I became more aware (after using the gentle breath meditation) I would feel like something else had taken over and the conversation didn’t feel like my words.
Now if this planning begins to happen I stop as I know they are not just words but words that carry an energy which plays out later, because I allowed it to happen. I am now enjoying approaching conversations with an openness to see how they and my relationships unfold.
Chris this is such an excellent point and I am so glad you have made it!! How true how much time and energy we waste thinking and rethinking and rehashing the same things over again. How come once is not enough? I love how you write about the steadiness you feel when you are present, it’s true there is a real stead-fast-ness and strength in presence that gives life a real ease and grace.
Hi Chris, well my mind wandered off while reading this at least 6 times. I was going to write 3 but that was a lie!
I don’t like to be exposed for the truth of where I am at, and isn’t that the game of the mind to wander to keep you busy, distracted etc. All of which you describe brilliantly here.
Thank goodness for the gentle breath meditation, learning to be honest about where you are at and learning to live with more presence as described by Helen. It is a journey worth paying attention to and staying tuned in for!
I had an experience recently where I had a 1-year old stay over night with me and as I heard her murmur in her sleep, I started going through scenarios of what I would do if she actually woke and was upset not to have her mum. Once I actually awoke and made a reassuring, go back to sleep sound, I realised that I just don’t think like that anymore, planning how something will go, working out the best scenario. It is absent for the most part of my life, yet it was a very familiar feeling of not so long ago. So there has definitely been major progress, maybe next time I read your blog I will only wander off 2x and then maybe not at all!
This is huge Chris and thank you for sharing. I totally relate to what you say about the conversations I ‘could’ have or ‘have’ had or what I am ‘going to do’ and boy oh boy is this tiring. I have realised that it actually takes a lot of time and energy to ‘not’ be with what I am doing. Since starting to incorporate the Gentle Breath Meditation as presented by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I have found myself being more present with what I am doing and therefore what I am doing has a greater quality to it, as I am fully there with the task or the person I am interacting with. Much more honouring for both sides and much less anxiety too.
As others have said this is a very real and relatable topic including myself. Even when I sit or lie down to do my gentle breath meditation many times my mind has drifted onto other subjects. I have found that stating the obvious has helped, the fact that I am actually sitting at that moment in time and not at work or conversing with a certain person or wherever my mind has gone. Building that out of the meditation chair is part of my current ‘homework’ and this blog is a lovely reminder of how pointless ‘going off with the fairies’ can be. Thank you.
I love your blog – I have spent a lifetime rehearsing my day, and only now am I starting to realise how much time and effort it has taken. As you say “When the time comes to have that conversation, I can be there and bring me totally to the conversation as it unfolds. I can come now without expectation of how it might be. And I surprise myself over and over again, that what I need to say is there when it’s needed, without any rehearsal, and without the waste of thinking about it beforehand.”
How beautiful it is when I allow life to be!
Thank you Chris, I can so relate to this too – I love how real and simple your article is – all those stories in the head just put us on that racy treadmill and it’s exhausting. The gentle breath meditation has been my liberator from that treadmill too – I regularly come back to it when I get a bit anxious about something or someone – as soon as I feel my body again I can feel the emptiness and falseness of that story in my head. As Helen said, being with my body now gives me so much more space and I can enjoy me and what I am doing because I am not in my head squeezing myself between now and the next thing ‘to do’… what a relief and a total liberation.
Amazing, Chris – and your observations and conclusions are so true and accurate when it comes to the mind that is always trying to be in several places at once rather than staying with the body and with what is happening right under its nose, literally so.
Great observation Gabrielle.
Thanks Chris for your great post. I too can totally relate to wasting soooo much time thinking about unnecessary things, but apart from the gentle breath I also like to just say to myself that it’s not important for me to be thinking about that, and it just stops it in its track and I can then go on with the focus on what I am doing currently. 🙂
Oh Chris, I can so relate to what you have said. Exhausting myself. But you made it feel light and playful. Just Stop, reconnect, and feel me.
Really enjoyed your article Chris, probably because I can relate to it so much. The simplicity of connecting to ourselves can save us thousands and thousands of wasted hours living somewhere else in our minds while missing out on the wonder and glory that is with us right now.
Like Julie, I had a good laugh reading this Chris. And yes, I can relate to every word you wrote. The pre-planned conversation is a great one to call out. How exhausting… not only imagining what we are going to say, but planning what the other person is going to say too!
How beautifully simple you have made the path back to ourselves. Thanks Chris for your beautiful expression.
Oh Chris, I just laughed and laughed while reading your blog because I could SO relate to your extraordinarily exact version of my own mind capers. And how delicious it is when you catch yourself doing that and gently bring yourself back with the breath. We are truly powerful when we choose to be with that stilling rhythm within and express from there, where our mind is led by the impulse of that moment and not some past regurgitated memory that has no value whatsoever.
Thank you for your awesome sharing.
Hi Chris, thank you for this. I have similar experiences, and, when I catch myself and listen to my body, I can truly feel just how all that thinking affects me physiologically – how the tension has built in my body and how the anxiety raises my heart rate – I have recently coined the phrase, “Warning – Thinking can Seriously Damage Your Health”.
Yes, Carmel over-thinking is vastly over-rated and most of the time I manage to avoid it. Yet when I do get caught up over-thinking and justifying myself or planning ahead future conversations, it’s amazing really how heavy I feel when I stop. The only way through for me is to re-connect, not give myself a hard time, and simply return to my body and breath. Thank-you, Chris, for this blog – it was awesome to read how alike we all are, even when we are not with ourselves.
‘Warning -Thinking can Seriously Damage Your Health’. Loved that Carmel. I’m finding more and more that when I have a practical problem that doesn’t need immediate resolution, I put it out of my mind. Then, later, the solution just pops up. Much easier and less stressful than thinking!
I attended an Esoteric Yoga class ran by Marcia Owen and she offered us the experience of feeling just how heavy our arm felt in a simple exercise of lifting and letting go of our arm while thinking about someone or something else.
The heaviness of this action became very apparent when we repeated the process of lifting and dropping our arm while feeling what our arm and body felt like when doing this action.
I was blown away by the huge difference, when raising my arm thinking of someone or something else, my arm felt quite heavy and tired whereas when I repeated this action thinking and feeling how this action felt in my body, my arm felt quite light and even revitalised, amazing.
So now whenever I feel tired during my day I reflect on what thoughts I have been having.
No wonder exhaustion is such a common ailment in our society…
Yes, you are right Toni. No wonder exhaustion is so common.
We are doing one thing and thinking about another…and not only thinking about it once but over and over.
Thank you for this blog Chris. I appreciate the stop it brings when I read it.
Thank you, a great awareness of where some of my exhaustion has come from and a great exercise to feel the difference.
Beautifully said, Chris. Thinking about what has already happened or thinking what might be going to happen certainly takes our eye off the ball of what is going on inside us or around us in the here and now. I too, love how stopping and re-connecting to my gentle breath brings my focus to what is in hand – to where my attention and energy need to be. What a waste, if we are not fully present and attentive to what is happening in all the moments in each day!
I love and relate to this totally, thinking, rethinking and reviewing too much, and all keeping me distracted from what I already know and feel to be true.
I agree Chris, “what a waste to think of things twice”.
This post reminds me of a scientific experiment that I heard about on national radio more than 20 years ago where a group of scientists had wired the motor part of the volunteers’ brain so that they controlled the impulse to stand up and start walking unbeknown to the person. Each volunteer when asked why they stood up or where were they going, made up a story instantly to support their actions although the impulse had not come from them!
Does that not prove that we are so so controlled, just like puppets, and yet think that we are running the show… a great follow up experiment would be to have asked the participants to connect to their bodies through the gentle breath meditation that you mentioned and then give the impulse… then they would have had an interesting experiment.
Oh how I relate to this – sometimes my mind seemed to be totally out of control! So much time wasted in over-thinking things… like a mouse on a treadmill!
The simple key to overcoming this as you have shared; is in CONNECTION – to my body, and in developing PRESENCE by bringing my mind to what is happening right now.
The Gentle Breath Meditation has also been a huge support for me in taking charge of my runaway mind – and has given me back immeasurable time and freedom. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Hi Helen, I completely agree with you. Here is a link to a FANTASTIC site all about the Gentle Breath Meditation and there are even lots of free audio downloads that only take about 10 mins each.