Mind-Less Monday
Silencing the Voices of Oppression
On this Mind-Less
Monday, I’m trying to mind less those
voices from the past that creep into my consciousness and wound me anew.
There I
was, thinking along, happy thoughts, and damn, the voice of the oppressor (I call
my personal oppressor Snappy) broke into my reverie. “Not so fast, happy
thoughts! Don’t you remember when this
happened? Don’t you remember when that
happened? And, really, what about when _______ said that (mean, soul-crushing remark)? And if you say that (wholesome expression of joy), what
if _______ says the more of the same (additional
mean, soul-crushing remarks) to let you know that really you are not
so much, not so valued, not so cherished? Just silence all that joyful noise
and dwell in the past.”
Burst
balloon. Dark cloud. Rain on the parade. Black days of depression. All the clichéd
harbingers of doom marched right into my psyche, destroying every sense of
peace, calm, gratitude.
That’s
what Snappy does, and he’s a pro. I believe each of us has our own Snappy,
except for the few who have achieved total self-actualization. Because I had
gone from joy to despair so quickly, in just moments of thought, I recognized
Snappy. Whoa! He’s at it again, I realized. And although I listened for a few
moments, I was mindful of the rapid progression from joy-filled thoughts to
hang-dog dejection. The sun went down and clouds blocked the blue sky. I
caught him in his soul-destroying game. And I put a halt to it.
The most
important thing I can do on this Mind-Less Monday is to mind less what Snappy says—much less. I can’t predict when Snappy
will start yapping at my psyche, none of us can. But I can be aware of when I
feel him nipping at my heels. In that moment, I can chase him away, I can
return to the sunlight, golden sands, and blue ocean water of my reverie. I
can mind less the past, I can mind more the future. I can be free of Snappy
this Mind-Less Monday and every day.
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