How to Work with a Noisy Mind:

How often have you found your mind wondering to one thought after another? Sometimes useful, such as you're to do list for the day or the checklist of items to be accomplished at work or at home, goal setting, etc.

What I am referring to here is the idle thoughts that slip in between to seemingly take up space. No, not the simple daydreaming that allows you that nice feel good sensation -that is all well and fine.

Idle thoughts are the ones that create worry, upset, repeat old memories over and over to invoke the emotions we had over the old issues that are done and over with -so we will behave as if it is happening now, though in reality everything is very different.

An example would be your child comes home from school in a bad mood. You don't know why, but the first attempt to ask, the response you get is either indifference or angry for your inquiry. You attempt a second time, later, and then the response you get is more like, "I don't know." The third try you feel a little impatient yourself, but resisting your own desire to just be angry over not getting an immediate response and wanting to be sensitive to your child, you inquire again and finally get an answer.

A few weeks or even a couple months go by and you are having a rough day at work. You can't seem to get even the events at home to flow in order. When you come home, all you want to do is relax, but you have responsibilities that evening too and need the cooperation of your family in preparing dinner and getting the other children around to their activities. Your mind is full of worry, stress and anxiety and all you can think of is that you just don't need one more problem to arise. Your mind wonders back to the events when your child came home in a bad mood and you begin to ponder that and how frustrated you really were with it and how you held back in order to be sensitive to that child. Then you begin to think what if s/he comes home like that again and how you couldn't deal with it now. Then your mind begins to tell you that you just know that child is going to do it to you again, because it happens all the time.

Then in walks the child from school and without saying a word, or perhaps only saying hello, you let into him/her exclaiming that you will not have her/him going on and being in a bad mood and interfering with everyone else's day and start shouting your commands to the child so you can get on with your agenda for the evening.

Most often something like this is happens more unconsciously than being fully aware. If we were fully aware, then clearly, this would not take place at all. No one would consciously be hurtful to the ones they love over a past issue and repressed emotions, because we would intentionally note within our self that is a thought from the past and let it go, as well as that is an emotion attached to that thought and I am fine now as well.

Our challenge today and wonderful opportunity is the fact we, as humans have the ability to become cognoscente of our own thinking and then change our choice of behavior as a result. Clearly in doing so, we can then have healthier, happier relationships and a better perception of our selves as well.

It is normal for the mind to think and be active; it is a tool or instrument. Any tool while idle must be kept tuned and properly maintained. With the mind allowing it to run ramped with the negative thoughts creates dis-ease and lack of harmony within the balance of the whole system, thus it is not being kept tuned and properly maintained.

A key or tool to keep your instrument properly tuned is in the times of idle thought; i.e. driving, not using intention focus such as on a school or work project, etc, place a simple yet strong and empower thought for your mind to repeat that creates wellness, health and balance in the whole of your being and system. For example a short phrase or a couple of words that can be repeated over and over, allowing it to become your conscious and unconscious thought and new internal program such as, "God be with me," or "Bless me Jesus," or "Hari Om (Sanskrit -means: remove suffering) (1)," or "Rakhma (Jesus original language, Aramaic -means: unconditional love, such as translated from Matthew 5:7) (2)," or create your own that you are familiar or comfortable with that allows you peace, tranquility, joy and overall sense of well-being.

When you practice at first, it allows you a sense of prayer, as if petition and also, meditation, as in listening and receiving. So when in idle thought, simply become aware and notice that your thoughts have begun to wonder and merely replace them with your new ones, either as above or what you have chosen. No need to reprimand or become upset with your self in the process, just notice and replace.

Each time you do so, it becomes easier and more natural, until one day, it isn't necessary because it is simple what you do -there is no negative self talk or old idle thought. Blessings on your life journey.

(1) The Art of Living - http://www.powerofmeditation.org/hari-om-meditation.html

(2) Enlightenment - http://www.iloveulove.com/history/enlightenment.htm