Remember how it felt as a child on Christmas morning?
One present after another, bright and colourful, begging for attention, unwrapping, paper and ribbon torn away, boxes opened.
Some presents - JUST WHAT I WANTED! - awareness of everything else gone - completely lost in the moment, enthralled and excited.
This is how thoughts are - like presents to be opened - but these days, as an adult, rarely with excitement, just out of necessity, habit or obsession.
And because present opening happens continuously, every day, every hour, every minute - there is rarely any fun to be had - in fact it has become just part of how things are, mostly repetitive - the same stuff over and over.
But despite lack of novelty, we still get pulled toward the next. We don't even know it's happening.
If we can start to notice, become aware, stop jumping to the next present - the next thought - life soon calms down, stress falls away.
Try it now!
See if you can STOP.
WAIT.
Wait for the next thought...
Notice the silence, the space...
As thoughts pop up, stop and look.
Leave the 'present' untouched.
If you have already started to unwrap it - pull back, 'step away'.
Sit on the sofa and look, relax, look elsewhere, or better still, let your mind go blank for a moment.
Come into the present moment.
Turn your attention to sensing 'beingness' in you.
Whenever you remember to, let presents sit round the tree before you jump on them.
You are no longer a child, so put your feet up and sit comfortably in your own mature presence - this is the ultimate gift you can give to yourself - peace and contentment that lasts.
John