| There's a lot of talk in meditation circles about | | | | Having a "mind like water" refers to one's ability |
| emptying the mind. | | | | to react and reflect in a balanced way. If you |
| This is a roadblock for many people. Why? | | | | drop a stone in a still pond, the ripples will appear |
| Because it's counterintuitive. After all, we spend | | | | in a direct, appropriate response to the force and |
| most of our waking hours filling up our minds. | | | | mass of that stone. Nothing more, nothing less. |
| We go to school, we get trained, we read, we | | | | As the ripples dissipate, the pond returns to |
| learn, we absorb information from all around us. | | | | stillness. |
| Then someone comes along and tells us that the | | | | That's a great way to look at how our minds |
| best thing we can do is EMPTY our mind? Why | | | | respond when we feel relaxed and stress-free. |
| would we want to do that? | | | | We don't snap at our kids or get cranky with our |
| Empty isn't a good thing in most cases. Empty | | | | co-workers. We get our tasks completed in a |
| wallet? Empty gas tank? Empty bank account? | | | | way that is efficient and without unnecessary |
| Empty restaurant? These aren't conditions we | | | | action, emotion, or distraction. We have a point to |
| find satisfying. Mention your feelings of | | | | which we return continually as we go through our |
| "emptiness" to your doctor and you may end up | | | | day. There is no overreaction or failure to |
| with a prescription for Prozac. | | | | respond. |
| Would you take it as a compliment if someone | | | | Still. Ripple. Still. |
| referred to you as "empty-headed"? Not likely. | | | | The only leak in this "mind like water" discussion is |
| We seek fullness in our bellies, our hearts and our | | | | that Allen sticks with the tried-and-true "empty |
| lives. Going for empty goes against the grain. | | | | mind" terminology. That's too bad. It would have |
| We've already got plenty of reasons to avoid | | | | been a perfect opportunity to switch to clear! |
| meditation. It seems difficult, uncomfortable, or | | | | When the "empty mind" concept becomes a |
| just plain boring to a lot of newcomers. We don't | | | | barrier, slip into "clear mind" instead. After all, a |
| need any semantic obstacles. Hearing that little | | | | pond is not empty. It is clear. Plenty of water. |
| voice saying, "Your mind is not empty--you're | | | | Rocks and mud at the bottom. Fish swimming |
| lousy at this!" only adds to the clutter that | | | | here and there. If the water is clear, you can see |
| muddies our spirit, fogs our intention, and | | | | it all and the finest details become magnified as |
| paralyzes our progress. | | | | they pop into view. The important aspect is our |
| We must relinquish this expectation that we are | | | | ability to see whatever we need to see. |
| supposed to attain this state of | | | | What happens when you toss a stone into an |
| emptiness--complete non-thinking--in order to | | | | empty pond? Not much. It makes a thud on the |
| have a good meditation session. Staying attached | | | | muddy bottom. Sure, you can see it. But what's |
| to this ideal is likely to provide just one more | | | | the point? |
| nudge in the never-mind direction. | | | | Your mind will continue to have thoughts. Don't |
| David Allen is a productivity trainer and consultant | | | | expect to avoid them. Drop the idea that you can |
| who is the author of Getting Things Done: The | | | | remain "thoughtless" and embrace the value of |
| Art of Stress-Free Productivity. He offers valuable | | | | seeing those thoughts clearly. |
| tips for dealing with the clutter that crowds our | | | | You've spent years filling your head. Mindfulness |
| minds so that we can free up space for greater | | | | gives you the clarity to see what's going on in |
| creativity. | | | | there without having to dump the contents first. |
| Like Jim Ballard in his book called Mind Like Water: | | | | By releasing the notion of emptiness, you can |
| Keeping Your Balance In A Chaotic World, Allen | | | | step into the power of clarity. |
| uses the martial arts term to describe the | | | | Empty mind? Clear mind? Choose the image that |
| process of preparing our mind for appropriate | | | | works for you. |
| responses to demands. | | | | I'll cast my vote for clear. |