Dear Wisdom:

It is the hardest state in meditating, to quiet the thinking brain. The idea behind meditating is to focus on a sense: focusing on the sounds you hear, or a sight you see, or the feel of something you touch… or a taste or a smell, any of the five senses. In guided meditation, mostly the first two or three. While you focus on sounds, for example, for a short time while you focus, you stop thinking. But soon enough you will think again and when that happens (and it will surely happen), you gently bring your focus, your attention back to the sounds. This way you give the part of your brain that thinks and feels a break, a rest. What a welcome rest it often is!

Did you ever listen to guided meditation, focusing on sounds? There may be something online…

Till later, very good corresponding with you today!

anita

Dear Wisdom:

I no longer do guided meditation and was never very fond of those. If you lie down tonight, getting ready to sleep, and just listen to sounds, you would be meditating! Or if you lie down with a stuffed animal and focus on how it feels to touch it, you would be meditating! It is that simple. Good night to you and until your next post, take good care of yourself!

anita

Dear Wisdom:

I used to think there is a significance in numbers and in the past I paid a lot of attention to numbers. I am still in the habit of noticing dates, for example this very morning I looked at today’s date: 2-10-2016. I looked at “210” the first three digits, then looked at the last three digits backward, from the 6 to the left: “102” and said to myself, “oh it is not the same as 201. I then asked what date would it be that the digits arranged that way would be the same and I answered myself: 1-02-2016.

If you didn’t follow my thinking about the numbers of today’s date, that is okay. It means nothing except for some Magical Thinking I used to have, that if the digits are a certain way, then today will be special, something good will happen, a new beginning… sort of like a guide. I was looking for a guide in the numbers.

I didn’t read about numerology in my life, I came up with it myself, as children come up with such things, such make believe things, it is called “magical thinking” characteristic of childhood. I carried it long after childhood and still have the tendency.

But no, there is no guide in numbers, no significance, nothing good about to happen because of digits or numbers. Not reality.

anita

Dear Wisdom:

Yes, I do add the digits in dates as well, at times. But these are habits from long time ago, not something I believe has anything to do with reality. When people are afraid, especially as children… when we were scared children we reached out to anything, any sign, any possible explanation, a guide of any kind so to feel safer. It is such a desperate need, to not feel fear that we hold on to anything at all, and often it is magical thinking, wishful thinking… anything at all. Now, as an adult, having confronted some of my life long fear, I am able to evaluate what is real and what is imaginary.

The time you mentioned, what does it mean… as if someone is sending you a message and you are trying to figure out the message in the digits of the time on the clock.

The thing is, if someone is trying to send you a message, why not state the message clearly? Really, think about it: if you wanted to send someone a message, to let someone know something, why wouldn’t you state it clearly? If it is an important message, wouldn’t you state it clearly so to make sure the person got the message?

Why send riddles and take the chance that the person won’t get it or get the wrong message? Why these mind games on the part of the one who supposedly sends the message?

At this point in my life, I don’t have time for hints and riddles and ambiguous messages! If someone want to tell me something, I figure it is the job or that person to tell me what it is simply and directly!

What do you think?

anita

Dear Wisdom:

It seems to me (and I wrote to you about it before on this thread), that you experienced so little love in your life, not enough to start you on a life where you reach out for new experiences, where you live life more. Like a tree that doesn’t get enough water or nutrients or sun (love in your case), it sheds its leaves and branches and the only thing that remains is the trunk. So the tree is minimally alive… because there is so little water, nutrients, sun (love).

And like that image of a tree, minimally alive, so are you, aren’t you? Waiting for water and nutrients and sun so that you can start living, grow branches and leaves.. and flowers, and finally get to bloom and produce fruit.

If you feel that I understand you, on this forum, this thread, if you feel safe communicating with me, well… this is a kind of love. Not as good as the love of a physically present, in-the-flesh person would be, but if this is all you have at this point in your life, then reach out to me, continue to do so.

Now, a tree has no choice, can’t move to a place with more water and nutrients and sun. But you can. It is scary but it is time to relax into the thought that it is something that is possible. However difficult and although it may not happen… it is still possible.

Fear will keep you in place, waiting, and the chances that something wonderful will happen are very slim. If you contact that man on the internet, there is a good enough chance that he will not respond or not respond the way you would like, for whatever reason. This is a risk anyone has to take when reaching out to someone. It would be your choice depending on whether you think you can endure rejection. Rejection is a real possibility and we have to deal with real life.

More of your thoughts, Wisdom?

anita