The Unblocked Mind January 5, 2016
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, Meditation, Mindfulness.trackback
When we are imprisoned by stale thoughts and emotions, we are not free.
When we are blocked by fear, guilt, anger, resentment, etc., we are not free.
But we are both jailer and jailed.
We hold the keys.
We can choose to “let go” of anything that no longer serves us whenever it suits us.
We carry around so many memories, intentions, and concepts in the pockets of the mind. Keep emptying your pockets. ~ Writing on Water, Mooji
The unblocked mind is free to flow like a river, the wind, a breath, or a cloud with no hesitation.
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. ~ Lao Tzu
The unblocked mind hears the heart when it whispers . . . Just Flow.
Aah . . . that’s better!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
I love this post Nancy. We are both jailer and jailed and hold the key. The quotes are great. Someone dear to me is having a hard time dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. They believe they cannot separate themselves from their thoughts and it is “how I operate”. They pooh pooh meditation and yoga and rely on others for diversion and distraction. It lifts their spirits for a while, but when they are alone again they become fearful and depressed.
We can show them the key, how it turns in the lock, but people have to be open to trying a new way to take care of themselves and their well being.
xo
Yes x 3017!!! Some people insist on looking outside themselves for “pick me ups” (interspersed with “put downs”), never realizing what the practice of mindfulness could do for them.
While waiting for surgery to remove a tumor that could not be biopsied in advance, I had the BEST summer ever because I accepted the “what is” ~> I MIGHT DIE. That acceptance freed me to LIVE TODAY.
Your friend sounds like someone I know who calls me for regular “pick me ups,” claiming that talking to me always makes her feel better. I’ve shared tips and techniques to teach her to do the same for herself, but she claims, “it’s too hard.”
She’s right. It is hard. But it’s worth it . . . because our freedom is at stake!
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. 🙄
Yes indeed. When we embrace it all, we take control of our thinking and are able to embrace life fully ! Thank you for the inspiration. 💛
My pleasure. And thanks for your daily dose of inspiration too.
Got the sink plunger on top of my head as we speak Nancy!
That’s an image that rings true, Hariod ~> I’m glad you reached for the “sink plunger” and not the “crapper zapper”!
At last! We’ve done it!
The clog is unblocked.
Our thoughts are flowing.
We’re riding high.
Life is good.
The “what is is” and we embrace it all.
We’re free at last!
And then . . . something happens . . . the wind shifts . . . and we find we have more “crap” (technical tantric term) to zap.
Are they called ‘plungers’ there in the States? I wasn’t sure at all about that. You call taps funny names after all. 😉
They are “plungers” ~> “crapper zapper” is my own lingo.
Faucets = taps.
Elevators = lifts.
Potato chips = crisps.
French fries = chips.
Sweaters = jumpers.
It’s a wonder we can carry on a conversation at all!
“When we are blocked by fear, guilt, anger, resentment, etc., we are not free.” Truth!
Great quotes, Nancy.
Yes! Instead of challenging our thought patterns and changing them, we attempt to change the “what is” ~ expecting LIFE to conform to OUR expectations. When LIFE doesn’t comply, we grow discouraged, disheartened, and disappointed . . . drowning in self-created despair and dismay:
We hang on to things for days that we could (and should) brush off in minutes, robbing ourselves of peace of mind and creating unnecessary suffering. We perpetuate pain, and keep it alive, by replaying our hurts over and over again. We overreact to minor annoyances, and share them with others, fueling negative mental states (anger, jealousy, rage, envy, greed, hatred). We walk around in a state of perpetual disappointment because LIFE is not how we want it to be.
The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves. ~ Sophocles
When we learn to embrace all with joy, knowing that anything can be a gift of gold in disguise, we’re FREE!
You put all of that together just beautifully – and it is all so true! I’m working on letting go of what I am… but I probably always will be! Can I just keep working on decluttering and letting go of what’s around me? LOL!
Thanks, Kate. Of course!
When we declutter space around us, we create space within us. We feel freer and lighter as we move forward along the path. We realize that Less is More . . . within and without.
We find it easier and easier to let go of anything and everything that no longer serves us ~ Including stale emotions and intrusive thoughts.
When in doubt, try asking: “Will this thought bring me peace of mind?”
I got chills reading that last bit, what a great way to keep my mind in check… I just wrote that down and put it on my bulletin board! Thank you for always taking time and frequently going above and beyond, I appreciate it and you have really helped me grow!
Yay! Thanks, Kate. I’m focused on this issue right now . . . seeing how often our thoughts rob us of the peace of mind we could be feeling.
Yesterday, I reread Present Moment, Wonderful Moment.
https://nrhatch.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/present-moment-wonderful-moment/
Today, I’m rereading The Serenity Princlple.
https://nrhatch.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/the-serenity-principle/
I recommend both.
I’ve just had a very real reminder of how connected our physical health is to a cluttered (or in my case, stressed) mind. Thanks for these quotes and this imagery.
Once we let go of the unnecessary baggage we’ve been carting around, we feel calmer and more peaceful, ready to journey through life and allow the path to unfold in its own way and its own time.
We learn to go with the flow instead of exhausting ourselves by struggling against the current.
We travel best when we travel light . . .
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. ~ Lao Tzu-love this!
I’ve been exploring creating with various art mediums, and it’s amazing how freeing it is. Stepping out of limitation, self-imposed or otherwise opens the world to your mind and fingertips; or it has for me.
Yes, we hold the keys, what we do with them is up to us!
Art, Music, Nature are great teachers . . . enabling us to step out of ourselves and into a different landscape. Once there, we see that it was US holding us back all the time.
Enjoy setting yourself FREE!
Thanks once again for sharing such wise words, Nancy. “Keep emptying your pockets” ,,,,,,,,, love this. 🙂
We are often pulled out of the Here and Now by thoughts that linger . . . dragging us into the past or future to battle with windmills of our own making.
When we remember to empty our pockets, we remain grounded in the present, where happiness resides.
So true!
This post resonates, especially as we begin a new year. Love the Lao Tzu quote, Nancy. Thank you for sharing!
Glad it resonates, Carol.
Our minds are wonderful servants, but terrible masters . . . when we learn to control our thoughts, life is so much better.
I love this…so much in it. Indeed we hold the key to our freedom.
Thanks, Carrie. In the timeless present, we don’t need a reason to be happy, we just are. To Freedom!
Fantastic post. It especially rings true that we make ourselves both jailer and jailed. Thus we can free ourselves with the key. Brilliant!
PS. I hope your biopsy results were Ok.
Thanks, Elizabeth. And, yes, it was benign . . . but I ended up having to wait 3 months after its removal before the pathologists reached that consensus.
A wonderful lesson in living with uncertainty.
“The unblocked mind hears the heart when it whispers .” What a beautiful statement. I really love this, Nancy! Great direction for 2016!
Thanks, Debra. That’s the plan.
Our perception of life is filtered through the cloudy lens of past experience. The more “mind detritus” we sweep away, the clearer the lens.
This is so true. We can be our own worst enemies as we hold ourselves captive and don’t allow ourselves to experience peace.
Evicting tenacious tendrils and wily wisps of fluff and nonsense which destroy our peace of mind is a housekeeping chore worth doing daily. Best of all, we don’t have to wrestle them to the door, we just have to ignore them until they fade away.
The unblocked mind hears the heart when it whispers . . . Just Flow. I like this… 🙂 great post Nancy. Good for reading to stay on track… or just flow.
Morning, Pix! Here’s to flowing with the current, instead of swimming against it.
The unblocked mind hears the heart when it whispers. Lovely Nancy. Is it yours. I will keep it close in mind when I get stuck on things past. Thanks for this post full of things I needed today. Judith
The pull of the past is potent, especially around the holidays. I created “The Perfect Storm” in my mind this year, with waves that lashed the boat and threatened to capsize it. Tired of being tossed about, I reclaimed the helm, and grounded myself in the Here & Now. At once, the tumult subsided to reveal sunny shores.
And, yes, as far as I can recall, it’s “mine.”
Lovely post, Nancy! I just wish it was always easy to empty my pockets. Some things can be sticky.
Yes. Sometimes we have to empty them more than once to get rid of the sticky bits.
“The unblocked mind hears the heart when it whispers, Just flow.”
Amen
Here’s to keeping the synapses and conduits clear!