"There are so many things to do and there is only 24 hours in a day!" "Oh my god I still have three papers unfinished and tons of readings to do!" "It's hard for me to breathe right now." "Even a tiny thing like dropping a pen would make me feel like a fool now." These are some bells that are ringing in my head today. I guess everybody has been in the stage where they feel everything around them are out of control and the whole world is against them. Well, I am the unlucky person today--right in the middle of the stage. I decided to reread chapter 1 again. (it might work like a Bible, who knows)
I was amazed by the philosophical thinking "mind like water". The example of throwing a pebble into a still pond perfectly describes the relationship between "stuffs" and balance/relaxation. Those ringing bells are the pebbles: homework need to be done, readings need to be finished, notes need to be review, events that I want to go... But the pond, which is my mind, can not return to calm after the mass of the pebbles. I couldn't even sleep well last night because the bells keep reminding me there are so many things waiting for me to do. "Worriers" need "mind like water". It is a strategy for me to calm down and move on. It is a waste of energy when I think of the "to do list" again and not taking any further actions.
After scanning through C1 last week, I tried to organize small stuffs like electricity bills and internet bills. I broke them down into small steps: read the letter--check their website--buy stamps--drop box--done. Things get easier when I start to take actions rather than sitting there and thinking "there is a lot to do!". After rereading C1 today, I learned that thinking skill is much more important than making a to do list: when I encounter a new project, the first thing to do is to narrow down the next step to take, then work on it. I wrote down all the ringing bells in mind and started to break them down; apparently things become easier. Having things that cause tension in the bucket helps a lot. I can't wait to read forward.
Hey Echo! It's encouraging to see how you're already putting the lessons we're learning into effect. I feel like I'm also learning how actually breaking projects down into small steps is a lot more effective than simply sitting on my butt and moaning over how much there is to do. It's interesting because I honestly would've thought that having a LONGER list of steps would make things MORE stressful when, in fact, it has actually helped to lessen my stress.
ReplyDeleteI think it's very important for all of us to not only read the book, but apply the concepts to our daily lives. At first, reading ch.1, i felt much like you. I had to re-read ch. 1 also.
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ReplyDeleteHi, Echo. I am trying to do the same thing: find a project, break it down, do the first small step. I find it reduce stress when you start something.~~Larry
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