Grab a pen. And some paper. Write down the next 10 things that come to mind. Don’t stop to think about them. Just write. What were they?
Our minds are a curious thing, always flitting from one thought to another, always in motion, even when we don’t ask them to be.
During my first few years of college, before the bulk of the stress had kicked in, I would sit in lecture with my thoughts rambling on about everything under the sun – what the carpet in the lecture hall looked like, what the back of that person’s shirt said, what I should eat for dinner… I wrote a blog post about it called Attention Span of a Peanut, which sums up my thought process pretty well.
As I grew older, the stress of college and work grew stronger, and its weight heavier. I could no longer sit and let my thoughts ramble on about carefree things. I could no longer sit without my mind flitting from worry to worry and my heart pounding a million beats a minute.
Fast forward a few years and it’s all gone. College: done. Licensing exams: done. Job: check. The stress of getting myself to where I needed to be was gone. I was where I needed to be. With the stress gone, so were my thoughts. I now find myself sitting with my mind in complete blankness. I suppose this is what it feels like to be relaxed. At least I think so. I’m not quite sure. I’ve forgotten what it feels like. My mind is now blank, and I don’t know what to do with myself…what a curious thing.
I leave you with this quote from my all-time favorite television show:
> “Because my brain is a wild jungle full of scary gibberish. ‘I’m writing a letter. I can’t write a letter. Why can’t I write a letter? I’m wearing a green dress. I wish I was wearing my blue dress. My blue dress is at the cleaners. The Germans wore gray. You wore blue. Casablanca. Casablanca is such a good movie. Casablanca. The white house. Bush. Why don’t I drive a hybrid car? I should drive a hybrid car. I should really take my bicycle to work. Bicycle. Unicycle. Unitard. Hockey puck. Rattlesnake. Monkey, monkey, underpants.” – Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls Season 7 Episode 11