Thich Nhat Thahn says, "We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive".
I’m always struck by how our devices have somehow crept in and often taken the place that should be held by an intimate other in our lives. Our phones live right next to our beds at night,get checked in with many, many times a day, and we miss them, sometimes desperately when they are not there.
And it's not just our devices that over-demand our attention. It can feel like our minds have a life of their own, they respond habitually, and our capacity to choose where we rest our attention can feel almost non-existent.
Our minds often seem overly busy, never switching off. The endless chatter can get in the way when we try to rest and sleep. We are so busy thinking that it can compromise our capacity to listen to others.
If you're not aware that your mind frequently chatters try sitting quietly for 10 minutes focussing on your breath, a basic meditation practice. It's more than likely that you'll be distracted by thoughts many times. This automatic thinking is often the force that drives us through the day. It flavours much of what we do, what we react to, and how we feel.”