Staying
Awake
“A
good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you
awake during the night.”
Marilyn
vos Savant
I spent
all day yesterday driving to see my cousins in North Carolina. I’m happy to
report that dog-Liza was a true travel champion. And, other than eat all of
Sandy’s dog’s food every time his dish is placed on the floor, she has
maintained her good behavior. I, on the other hand, had a very hard time
staying awake during the drive and even strong coffee was not effective at
staving off sleepiness. Last night, as tired as I was, I did not sleep at all. Instead of
fretting and fussing about it as I normally would, I laid awake and spent the
wee hours thinking through a bunch of stuff that has been lurking on the back
porch of my consciousness for several years. In the dark, in the silence,
without daytime distractions, I found unusual clarity that eludes me in
daylight.
I am
certain that this is not a revelation to anyone else. We need solitude and
silence to allow our minds to sort out the pros and cons, ponder big decisions,
make workable plans. Some folks can do that during the day—sit quietly and think
through such things—I am not one of them. I’m easily distracted, constantly in
motion, and busy entertaining one thought and another at the same time. People
tell me, “You should meditate” or “maybe yoga would slow you down.” Believe me,
I’ve tried all the relaxation techniques, including those mentioned. But in the
middle of the night, in that liminal space when the outside world is dark and
still, ah, there I find quiet mind.
Our
minds are marvelously alive—do you ever think about that? How incredible our
brains are? They conjure up demons or angels, create whole new worlds, navigate
the planetary spaces, create light through alchemy, drive us into deep sadness,
or into bliss. Nothing may truly change around us except the way we think and assign
meaning, but that alone can change our life and clarify our worldview. Our
minds are endlessly creative and that is such a blessing and a curse. We can
construct hopelessly idealistic schemes, believe in absurd conspiracy theories,
convince ourselves that up is down and down is up, all before breakfast.
The sun
is up now and guess what—I finally feel sleepy. Life is crazy and good.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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