Recently I have been walking with a friend who has a lovely little Jack Russel terrier called Buster. I love walking with Buster,
he is still very puppy-like, even though his age is not really known as my friend rescued him when she was working in Spain. He was being sold in a Supermarket of all places, obviously mis-treated, a tiny scrap of a dog, and she organised for him to be brought home with her. He is obviously loved and well treated now, but his behaviour is still very bouncy, excitable and, still, puppy-like.
When we walk we always take a ball to throw, but when we get into the woods, he is easily distracted by squirrels, so he is bouncing around chasing the ball, then distracted and chasing squirrels and this pattern continues for pretty much the whole walk.
Having spent much of my life worrying about things, it made me realise how much my worries are equivalent to Buster’s squirrels, just not as much fun. I spend a lot of time chasing those worries around in my
head and can easily be distracted from tasks and other jobs by chasing the worries. When this happens, it is an unconscious choice, the worries pop up in my head, but when I start to be more conscious, and choose what to focus on, or what to think about then it becomes possible to press the pause button on the chase. Of course that's not what we want Buster to do, he can be as distracted as he likes on his walks, chasing the ball, or chasing the squirrels, but for us our mind needs a break from
being full of worries and chasing them around and around in the head. By making a conscious choice of what to focus on, we can stop the distraction of the worries.
So if you are in a cycle of worrisome thoughts that are filling your head, then why not
try the practice of deciding and choosing what to pay attention to. Decide and develop a base, a bit like when preparing for a Pilates class, focusing on how we stand, or breathe. That base could be breath, or a surrounding sound that is a constant, or a touch point such as feet on ground, or hands resting on legs. This base is a conscious thought and focus, and by committing to this when the mind wanders into ‘worrisome city’, which it will,
because our thoughts will continue to be in the background, you can bring it back to the base and re-commit to the choice of focus.
The realisation that what we pay attention to is a conscious choice,
and by having a base of focus we are bringing everything back to the moment — rather than allowing the unconscious distraction of chasing those pesky squirrels… It gives the mind a break from the ‘worries’ that you may have, and will help clear the headspace, lift your heart and spirit. Make a conscious choice and using this whenever you feel your head is constantly chasing squirrels.
Have a great week folks, keep moving, keep feeling, keep looking good.
With love
Jane xx
