Thoughts untangle themselves over lips and through pencil tips – Dr. Howard Hendricks
I was recently wandering the interwebs, looking for nothing in particular, when I came across this quote from Dr. Howard Hendricks: ‘Thoughts untangle themselves over lips and through pencil tips.’ My thought processes began a random brain search and found that yes, thoughts become clearer when we speak about them and when we write about them.
I often feel that I simply forget myriads of thoughts because my brain is busy processing the constant input from around me – what is the weather doing, can I put the washing out?; do I have enough petrol in my car – should I stop now or can I fill up later?; I wonder what the dogs are doing at home – is Phoenix burying something in the garden for me to find rotted in three weeks’ time? Oh dear, I need to go to the toilet, again! The list is endless as the number of thoughts crossing our minds every second is astronomical. So why do I need to untangle my thoughts – surely they can just whizz around my brain, with the most important coming forward for immediate attention? Well, the answer to that would be NO!
I am an ‘in the moment’ kind of gal. If I have a thought, I must act on it now, or I just know that it will be forgotten, only to be remembered at some completely inappropriate time; such as when I am in the shower and I remember that I should phone my auntie who is 600km away, and don’t have access to a phone. By the time I am dried and dressed, my mind is already on the next thing that I should be doing and auntie does not receive a call from me.
How am I to remember all the things I need to while retaining the wondrous ideas that, if acted on, will fill my creative soul, while managing to complete my daily living tasks? And what about the problems that crop up? I am a single mom, so don’t have a partner to discuss issues with as they pop into my head. I could call a friend but I often want to resolve something at inappropriate times, like 3 am, when normal people are busy in dreamland. What am I to do?
About a year ago, I attended a journaling workshop. At the time it was very inspiring. My usual reaction to this type of thing is ‘wow! This is going to be really good and I’m going to continue this in my daily life’. However, just like a New Year resolution, you find that it fades away and the dedication disappears. So why am I talking about this again? I believe that this idea has been bubbling away in the depths of my brain and that I have finally accepted that this may just change my life!
I am going to approach it from two angles:
- The daily purges – set a timer for three minutes and just write down whatever is in my head. This purge will be torn up and thrown away as its purpose is to empty my mind of all the surface thoughts. This I will do with my morning coffee as my day is beginning. Hopefully, this is going to clear my mind and help me live in the present.
- The jotter – I am going to carry a small notebook with me wherever I go and when creative ideas come, I am going to write them down. Of course, I’m sure there will be more than just creative ideas, but I know that expressing a problem helps me clarify it and moves me towards a solution.
This is my plan of action – moving me towards being more fully in the present. How do you manage to stay in the present, to remember all those little ideas that flit in and out of your mind so quickly, and how do you move yourself towards resolving your problems?
Learn more about Kim at her blog, Tango with Text.
Thank you to Kim Hunter for participating in Friday's Fun and Family-Friendly Guest Posts. Kim, you are welcome to participate any time.
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