The mind is a terrible thing not to mess with

I have what the Buddhists call the monkey mind. It just keeps jumping around from subject to subject and is causing me stress.

My Dad would say, "Go for a run." My energy friends would say, "Meditate." And both of those options appeal to me but it is to writing I turn when I feel like my brain is in the spin cycle of the washing machine.

There is real laundry to do. The house is relatively clean but the yard is a mess. I need to sort out my finances. And there's always parent council work to do.

Then there are the things I want to do. Yoga is at 6 pm. I want to go to the market before that. Then I want to swim in my friend's sea salt pool tonight. There's the weekend to plan and I have to answer an invitation to a family gathering.

AAAAAARRRRRGGGG!

Question:

Have you ever washed a dog?

I washed two of them this morning.

I noticed how the older dog panted with his mouth open. (My kids say that he's smiling when he does this.) He seemed to relish the warm water soaking into his thick coat. He stood and sat as I instructed. He didn't fight me, he followed me.

The puppy was not so cooperative. He didn't like the water. The shampoo made him sneeze. He struggled against my grip. He barked, he whimpered, he even did the puppy face.

They're both sleeping at the foot of my bed, clean and brushed. They both have the same end result. One enjoyed the experience, one didn't.

So it is with the mind.

The mature mind strides along assured that all will be well. The monkey mind takes us on a ride, that might be fun for a while but eventually will wear us out.

Okay, now I can meditate!