How to Train an Elephant (book)

[FeeHutch]

Evening all.
So procrastination then. Well I have tried to procrastinate less this week, I do find I often feel better for tackling some tasks as I go, balancing that against not over doing it or pushing/punishing myself is something I continue to be aware of. I am in a period of substantial change in my personal and professional life right now and am not currently around quite as much. I need to read the chapter for this coming week but I am looking forward as always to reading how you have both got on this week

[Steve]

Hi all

I do have a tendency to procrastinate - I'm forever writing to do lists and learning/reading about stuff but not so good at actually doing things. I'm still trying to find a way through this. Observing when I procrastinate and when you don't may give insight as to what I'm really interested in and what I'm not but also it reveals a weakness in doing things which provide immediate pleasure rather than considering longer term goals. Despite reading up on this, I still struggle to find the motivation for stuff even though the longer term benefits justify short term slog.

Mindfulness and being in the moment tends to make me try to enjoy the moment rather than worry so much about the future. It's also to do with motivation: as there are a couple of significant issues in my life which tend to drag down my mood, I seem to spend time thinking/working on these and other matters don't motivate me so much (unless they give short term positive feeling). So, this is still work in progress..... Anyone else have this problem (or suggestions for addressing this)?

The coming week is about being aware of our tongue! I've also not yet read beyond the first page but it made me smile.

Hope all is well Fee, sound like you have stuff to deal with too.

Steve

[starbug]

Hmm, posting late about procrastination...

I found last week quite hard, as this felt like such a vague thing to focus on. I tend to procrastinate about a lot of things, especially if they seem unpleasant, but when I actually do the tasks, they aren't always as bad as I thought they would be. Anticipating an unpleasant task (or one that I think will be unpleasant) often seems to 'magnify' it, so that it looks a lot worse than it actually is. I guess the moral is to 'just do it' and get it over with, but it never seems to be as simple as that!

Being aware of the tongue sounds interesting

[FeeHutch]

LOL.
I am finding it quite easy to remember to be aware of my tongue this week and I have noticed I am putting off less stuff at present so being aware of procrastination is continuing to have an effect.

[starbug]

So far this week, I've kept forgetting to focus on my tongue. I did it this evening and found that something I usually like to eat actually doesn't taste of anything much, so that was interesting and strange - why have I kept eating something so bland? I must have thought it tasted good at some point.

Then, to make matters worse, a chunk came out of one of my molars! I now have a big gap and a jagged edge, which my tongue is very aware of. This isn't the way I wanted to be reminded of my mindfulness practice! Can we move in to the next one, please?

[FeeHutch]

Oh no!
As reminders go, that would not be high on my list either! Time for a trip to the dentist perhaps?

The taste of food is an interesting one, it is a theme I see come up time and time again when reading about mindful eating. We don't pay attention to our food so we don't taste it. I think this is why the raisin (or chocolate) meditation is such a revelation the first time you do it. Paying real attention to one little raisin transforms it in to the most awesome raisin you have ever eaten!

[Steve]

Hi all

The first thing I noticed is how often I (gently) chew the sides of my tongue - this seems to be a constant habit. Even now as I ponder how to express this, I notice it happening so maybe it stimulates ideas when thinking! Anyone else chew their tongue?

My tongue spends a huge mount of time investigating nooks and crannies in my teeth and homes in on any bits of food it notices or slightly sharp areas due to chips or a lost filling. Its also great for licking my lips and its amazing how much its used in forming sounds and speech. Pretty good for licking things as well, especially icecream!

Taste is an interesting one, some tastes spring to my attention, eg something hot and spicy, whereas if you eat mindlessly it is easy to miss out on experiencing the taste (and the texture).

As the chapter says, being aware of the tongue is like discovering a whole new world that you had previously overlooked so is an example of how mindfulness can open our eyes to seeing amazing things in whatever we choose to be aware of.

The coming week is all about impatience. I've been trying to be more relaxed in queues etc and taking the opportunity to notice what going on around you (the changing colour of leaves being a great one at the moment) however, I suffer from wanting to get things done quickly so I can move onto something else or get through my 'to do' list. I'd like to be able to stop this and enjoy the moment more whatever the task. Washing up is a great example, has anyone else managed to relax into this and not try to rush it?

Have a good week - I look forward to hearing how you got on.

Steve

[FeeHutch]

Not well today but wanted to pop in.
The tongue task just didn't find a place in my awareness during a very tough week but it's really interesting to read how much it seemed to offer you Steve. Its fascinating how differently each task is experienced

This week is impatience, something I have a lot of with myself. Maybe that will make it easier to remain aware of it at least!

[FeeHutch]

So how did everyone get on with noticing impatience? For me it linked it a lot with being aware of procrastinating because often I was impatient waiting for someone else to do something I could either try and do myself or ask for help with. It also fits in with this weeks task around anxiety. Often I feel impatient because I want something sorted out ASAP because it is making me anxious.

More and more as we approach the final weeks I can see links between each week pulling more and more together. It's very satisfying.

[Steve]

Hi all

I noticed being impatient when trying to get something done so I could move onto something else - made me aware of my tendency to try to rush through life in search of a better future rather than appreciating what the present moment has to offer. Also waiting impatiently for others to turn up at agreed time - I'm anxious before their arrival time, anxious once their arrival time is reached and until they have come and gone so end up wasting lots of time anticipating and pacing up and down (physically and mentally) rather than just going with the flow.

Impatience arises when you are trying to shift time rather than just accepting it as it happens. I like to remind myself of Thich nhat hanh advice "smile breathe and go slowly" to try to stop myself rushing about trying to be somewhere else. This always reminds me to be more in the moment and worry less about the future.

Anxiety this week. Fee, I think you're right, lots of these topics seems to be related. Anxiety and impatience very much so. A good week to try to chill out more.

Steve