Читать книгу The Power of Being - Андреас Грубер - Страница 13

The mind likes to rush. Asians often refer to our mind as the monkey mind. The monkey that is jumping from branch to branch. The mind needs to stay active, to move, always. Although our facial expressions and our body language indicate a little bit about our minds, luckily one cannot see externally how our mind jumps about.

We have talked about the constant stream of thoughts, about how we often identify with them, but we have only touched the possibility of resting the mind. To stop the stream of thoughts is an undertaking that would require quite a lot of practice and it would fall into the realm of meditation. That is not the scope of this book. This book is about making the best use of your mind and heart in the midst of a hectic corporate life. It touches most of the essential principles and suggests minimalistic exercises. They are minimalistic only in terms of time and effort but have a catalytic effect on the mind and heart. Catalytic means a tiny aspect or missing piece that can initiate a potent process within.

I'd say that we usually let the mind race, and often for nothing in particular, and when we need it, chances are that we may be too exhausted to do a proper job. On one of my visits to Scotland, I learned that when you are nosing several whiskeys at a degustation, your nose quickly gets dull and is no longer able to distinguish the nuances. The Scotts recommend you to nose some clear water in between. Ideally pure water from a mountain well. Ladies know this particular phenomenon from trying out the scents of new perfumes. Here the neutralizing cure is the aroma of roasted coffee beans. Imagine that the scent of pure water regenerates your olfactory sensitivity and capacity. The other thing is that you don't have to nose the water for very long, for it to work. Two or three breaths will do perfectly fine. That is the kind of thing we are looking for, to clear and rest our mind.

The price we pay to build a positive habit

What is the kind of mountain water that we need to clear and rest our mind? You will find some small things throughout this book, which you can make a habit. Yes, habits are not only negative, but the positive habits don't always come for free. It is commonly said among psychologists that you can’t get rid of a habit unless you replace it with another one. The price we have to pay for our new habit is 1) intention, 2) repetition, 3) a little bit of patience, and last but not least 4) a longing in our heart. The first two we usually know very well, however, we mostly make use of our determination rather than intention, to get to the goal. Besides, determination and repetition alone will not suffice to change an ingrained habit of ours. We know that, and still, that's what we do. Intention implies a lot less pushing and wanting than determination. Intention is like directing the arrow towards the target, knowing that it will get there once we let go, while determination is like running after the flying arrow, to make sure it gets there. It only wears us out.

The third aspect patience I find very crucial. This type of patience is more than accepting that the process may take some time, it includes being kind to yourself. In that sense, it's almost the opposite of determination. Some may use the term self-love, but personally I cannot relate to that. It may be a gender-based difference in the west. Maybe a man is good to himself while a woman loves herself. Whatever works for you?

Sometimes it helps me to add a little bit of curiosity to the process. The wish to explore, to find out, to learn. We must never make life strenuous or tedious. This is paving the way for number four, the heart. Remember, the heart is not so much about blunt desire, it's much more about a sincere longing for what matters because ultimately the heart is a spiritual tool. Throughout the book, you will find more interesting details about this together with simple exercises to clear and rest your mind.