I can make intentions and write down so many goals. It’s hard to make them stick though. It’s so easy to fall off the wagon that I don’t even have to try. I can always blame it on gravity. It’s not my fault and I would be right. This is according to Professor Paul Gilbert, the founder of compassionate focused therapy. I love his teachings.
So I am going to practice compassion towards myself. I will keep trying, knowing that I will fall off the wagon again and again.
I am feeling so much better now that I’ve opt out of the thread loop in the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I am no longer obliged to read the 2 posts above mine. It frees up not only time but my sense of obligation which is very weighty. I like rules. I think they promote order. I think I am taking them and the UBC too seriously. It is also time for me to take a break from the challenging element of showing up every day. I am remembering a Wayne Dyer quote: When change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
I wrote about working/writing smarter the other day. One of my faults is not knowing when to quit. I do know that now. I am walking my talk. Being committed to too many things is stressful. It does not lead to productivity nor sense of restfulness or peace. My mind was always engaged, having no time to rest. There was no time to organize my surroundings and to declutter. I yearned for time to read a story book like I used to. When I found some time, my mind was too distracted and frazzled to concentrate on the words.
I made the decision to opt out of parts of UBC just two days ago. I am surprised at how restful my brain is feeling already. I had time yesterday to watch Professor Paul Gilbert’s video on compassion and how it can help us lead happier lives. It is an hour and 17 minutes long but well worth it. It explains the tricky brains we’re born with. It is faulty by design but it is not our fault. But if we learn and understand how it works, it will help us live better lives. Learning is and always has been my passion. There’s always things to learn and opportunities to improve from where we are now. Every day is another first day of the rest of our lives.
Day 11 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I am trying to heed my advice on working/writing smarter. I am stuck, staring at my almost blank screen. I am not waiting for motivation to hit me. I’m tapping, then deleting, tapping, deleting. I am sure I will find a rhythm and I will be off and flying. I did rise early this morning. I meditated, trying to bring my mind back to my breath each time it wandered off. Then I spent time trying to solve Wordle. I didn’t succeed and abandoned after a short session. I am not perfect. I have fallen victim to all the time wasting techy distractions.
It is not my fault. I/we have a tricky brain, prone to addictions and distractions. I was born with it. I had no choice in the matter. Our tricky brain needs compassion and training. There’s alot of information on it out on the world wide web. I went searching. I remembered watching a very interesting presentation given by Professor Paul Gilbert on the Mindfulness Summit a few years ago. However, I couldn’t find it on YouTube but this one is on the same subject and is excellent. It is an hour long but well worth it.
So I’ve wandered and meandered. It is so easy to be distracted but it is a good distract today. It is valuable to understand how our brain works and have evolved. I hope the knowledge will help me work and live better.
onethousandandtwo 