TBD

TBD on Ning

              I am starting a new thread here mainly for purposes of my own catharsis. It is my intention, at least at this point, to make regular contributions. Of course, if anyone else has anything to add, they are more than welcome. If you have any input, please contribute.

              Over a year ago I decided to deal head-on with my self-diagnosed adult attention disorder, (ADD). The inability to stay focused was becoming too stressful. I found myself sitting around watching the clock tick, yet I couldn’t keep “on task” with any project I started. Nothing was getting done and just starting something was becoming depressing.

              The smart thing to do was probably to get professional help, so instead I decided to try to heal myself, at least as a first try. Cognitive therapy and pharmaceuticals (UGH) might be the approved way to go but I decided to try meditation first.

              18 months and countless self-help books later, I still can’t bring myself to a regular, formal meditation program. But, along the way, I discovered informal mindfulness. Yes, I know it is the “Fad” right now. It is hard to navigate modern social trends without “tripping over” somebody extolling the benefits of mindfulness.

              Let me add my voice to the chorus.

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"There is no switch that turns on enlightenment. You move toward it with effort. It's an effort that might be unrecognizable to those who think 'effort' means trying hard. You have to try soft, to be curious and be open to whatever it is that results."  ~  Nancy Thompson

"Trying soft"  Sounds like an oxymoron to me, or at least a Zen koan. All I know is that it doesn't mean "trying half-assed".

"If you are interested in security and certainty, you are on the wrong planet."  ~  Pema Chodron

The corollary to that is "No one can hurt me - that's my job."  ~  Byron Katie

I'm not sure why this isn't working today. The above quote was intended to be a reply to my post for January 31, but instead got placed here. Furthermore the edit function seems not to be operational today. Frustrated, I will return later.

Yeah, I noticed it's balky today. We'll come another day.

"Every conversation, chore, work task and walk in the park is meditation. It's all-encompassing. That's precisely what makes the practice so powerful."  ~  dailyzen.org

What this quote fails to mention explicitly is that it is only valid if you make the effort to be present and attentive as you do these actions. Go on autopilot and all benefits are lost.

"Restore your attention or bring it to a new level by dramatically slowing down whatever you are doing."  ~  Sharon Salzberg

Sometimes I find myself so speeding through an activity, trying needlessly just to get it done and over with that I am at risk of activating an anxiety attack. I blame my ADD. Things get done poorly and then I wonder what I am going to do with the rest of the day. There was no need to rush. Deliberately going into slow motion is the anecdote. Attend patiently to the task at hand with no concern with the finish line. Works for me - Cuts stress.

Have we lost the ability to edit our posts? Or to reply to an earlier post?

I didn't notice the edit thing. I haven't tried to do that yet. Yeah, some gremlin is doing mischief

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