Meditation

It occurred to me this afternoon that many bad habits, particularly smoking, seem direct consequences of the overactive doing mode of thinking. Years ago, when I used to smoke, I think it gave me moments of stillness - but these moments were really doing instead of simply being. I think the only way I allowed myself a few moments each day was to make them about doing something - smoking a cigarette - I would never have thought to pause outside the gates on my way to work to just breathe for a short while and watch the world go by. I don't smoke these days, but still my moments outdoors are often full of doing - running or gardening or walking somewhere.... I think I should make a deliberate choice to take some moments of stillness during my day.

I like this Catriona, you've made me think...

I read somewhere that the predisposition to smoking is genetically inherited I had a grandfather that used to smoke an enormous number of cigarettes in a day, probably it definitely contributed to killing him way too early. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I got to smoke an enormous number of cigarettes a day. They didn't kill me, yet I think they certainly had a part in my getting MS. I feel rather blessed, though, that I'm still alive and I can get this mess sorted out.

I don't smoke anymore, of course. Sometimes I really miss it, though