What was it that you had in mind?

WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU HAD IN MIND?

Presumably, given that you are reading this, you are living a life of some sort.

Right?

Tell me this: Is it the life you had in mind? The one you dreamed of when you were, say, 16, or maybe 21, or maybe the one you were sure you'd have by the time you reached 40?

Maybe the one you never told a single living soul that you wanted, the one you gave up on ages ago because other stuff got in the way, you got practical and serious-minded and told yourself to put all the silliness behind you?
(See Pages, at left, for continuation of "What was it that you had in mind?)

Me, Lynn Ingram

About Me

It's a journey, this life, and mine has been full and varied. I've loved a lot and been loved, I've wept a good bit and I suspect I was the reason for a few tears shed by others. I've been enchanted by the power of words and the incredible resilience of the human spirit forever. I love sorting out what makes us human beings tick and trying to find out how to make us tick better, starting with me. So now I'm a psychologist and a writer. On the way here, I was a teacher, an editor, a striker on a shrimp boat, an unsuccessful advertising sales rep, a little theatre actress, a student pilot, and a handful of other things. And I'm not done yet.

Monday, December 6, 2010

How useful is YOUR mind?


OK, up there in the links section - you know, that part that you aren't paying attention to because it doesn't look sexy and doesn't have little thumbnails or nifty pictures? Anyway, up there is the link to Tricycle. Nope, not the little 3-wheeled bike you rode as a kid, but instead, a wisdom-filled website that will, if you sign up for them, deliver nuggets like the one below to your email inbox every day.

Today's offering was especially good. Titled "Umbrella Mind," it's written by Gerry Shishin Wick in his "Dharma Discourse."

Now, read and ponder - and oh, what a great idea – maybe implement?

UMBRELLA MIND
Zen Master Dogen said that “not knowing is the most intimate thing.” Not knowing means to be open to all eventualities, to not prejudge a person or situation. If your mind is full of preconceived notions, there is no room for an unbiased view. It is like when your hands are full of objects, you cannot pick up anything new. A closed mind causes separation and suspicion. Like an umbrella, a mind is only useful when it is open. The first step toward maintaining an open mind is to understand the nature of mind or self.

-Gerry Shishin Wick, "Dharma Discourse"
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