The Joy Of Not Thinking

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Some people like that I am an introspective and contemplative person because many of my thoughts turn into something I share in my writing.  People have told me, and I now accept, that I have a gift for self-expression.  I have been told I do a great job of articulating the feelings and experiences that many of us share in life.  I am happy to have such a gift but gifts can also be a burden.  Being a thinking type person is occasionally overrated.  The constant flow of thoughts and ideas in my brain is sometimes exhausting.  It can be a wonderful experience to not think.  Being able to turn off the white water rapids of constant thought and achieve the peaceful serenity of a calm lake or pond is very desirable to me.  Years of meditation, as well as all I have learned from study and reflection, has taught me that we cannot really control our thoughts.  What we can do is learn to let them go and not obsess over them.  Some of my thoughts are worthy of extended reflection and development.  Other thoughts I try to let go and I hope they float away.  Thinking is a form of doing and not thinking is a form of being.  You cannot live a life of non-stop doing nor can most people live a life of non-stop being.  One must achieve a balance of thinking and not thinking.  This balance may not be 50/50 but when you achieve it you will know it.  In a song by the Beatles written by John Lennon, we are urged to “Turn off our minds, relax, and float downstream”.  I don’t actually recommend that you do this on the river because you may get hit by a barge.  However, I do encourage you to find some time in your day when you can turn off your mind, not think, and simply be in the moment.