Thursday - no big deal

pic #1: Can't fool your friends, No sir! They guessed that I had just eaten some frosted flakes, a Big Mac, and a couple of crescent rolls. As for the other big fella, well, let's just say all that food made me tire-d. ha ha ha!!! pic #2 Soothing rain - admittedly stolen off the web some where - not taken by me.. Truth be told, I'm not that comfortable sharing my life and certainly not my inner most thoughts here on the web. And secondly, I am careful that what I say about others isn't offensive. I know most of what I write is categorically nothing more than rambling. Nevertheless, I enjoy it! I try to write in a tone that any "normal person" would deem as safe. And since I am being woefully honest, what I share is often embellished just a little to keep my reader's attention. I mean, shoot, I could make shaving sound interesting if push came to shove. And if that doesn't do it, I could sell you, I mean tell you, a big ol' story about my trip out to the mail box. But for the most part, I share what's going on in my life. Whether it's interesting or boring is for you to judge, Hell, I can't worry about it too much. I gotta live it! I know that it's generally not a good idea to share one's meditations but I badly want to share today's experience with you. Just this once! Who knows, perhaps I'll even inspire another to give it a try, or to do a little research. Today I spent quite a bit of energy thinking about meditation. I asked myself if I was getting the most out of my meditations or if I was simply going the motions, kind of like my daily run. The answer, I think, is that sometimes they're deep and beneficial while at other times they're simply an exercise of repetition. I can't always find the gap! I concluded that regardless of the depth, the benefit is that I don't get out of the habit, so in the end I think that I'm good! Go Jimmy!! The simple goal of meditation is to quiet the constant chatter that is pervasive in one's mind. However, it's much easier said than done. I have a very busy mind. It's no simple matter stopping the auto-thought process that seems to flow endlessly. My mind is always active, whether I'm thinking about a past scenario or pondering some future event. Regardless, there's always some activity. Through meditation, however, I can find that gap, or that space between thoughts and stay there for a while. It's potentially life altering, and it's powerful medicine. I've read more than once that a good way to access this inner peace is to relax and begin focusing on your breathing. Personally, however, I have always used a different technique, but still this is one offered up quite frequently. And, yes, there's a story here so please be patient. :)It's coming!!! So, I was thinking,"when am I most in tune with my breathing?" For me the answer is simple. It's when I am running. However, when I am running I am usually in deep thought. I am thinking about a problem, a future issue, or rehashing something that recently happened with work, kids, bills, or life. What a challenge it would be to break through this barrier. Today I attempted to do just that. I would try to reach that quiet place while running, and stop that incessant thinking that is a normal part of my being. Halfway through my run I began to focus on my breathing while building imaginary walls to keep the "chattery" thoughts at bay. I was able to find a place I haven't been before. There were no thoughts streaming endlessly through my mind. Instead a deep focus on my inner being apart from who the world may think I am. My work day was just a normal work day. My after life at home was equally normal. While doing some reading I started my weekend laundry with the goal of having it done before Barley time Friday evening. I will meet that goal too! Because I made myself a birthday cake last weekend, I have been eating a piece each night. It's probably not doing a whole lot to help me stay fit n' trim (hey, that's dog food!), but it sure is goooooood!