Like a child opening presents, our mind jumps on every thought, then the next, and the next...
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 - OOOH JUST WHAT I WANTED! - and awareness of everything else is 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 thinking just for a second...
WAIT...
Wait for the next thought...
Notice the silence, the space...
As thoughts pop up - stop - look at them...
Leave the 'present' untouched.
If you have already started to unwrap it - pull back, 'step away'.
Sit back and look without opening, relax, look elsewhere - better still, let your mind go blank for a moment.
Come into the present moment.
Turn your attention to sensing your body.
As an ongoing practice, whenever you remember, let presents sit round the tree before you jump on them.
You are no longer a child, so resist the temptation, sit back in your own mature presence - this is the ultimate gift you can give yourself - the peace and contentment that arises when you don't open those presents.