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i forget i can act my way into better thinking. the reading this morning is an excellent reminder for me that my behavior affects my thinking and the effects can be observed in real time -- you know immediate gratification -- something that i always seem to want but very seldom get!
an interesting experiment for me anyhow is to test this theory out in traffic. one of my warning sign that i may not be spiritually fit on any given day is my behavior while driving. it usually starts off with grumbling in my mind about how bad, slow and discourteous other drivers are. then i start to retaliate by driving faster and more aggressively, and the final sign is my giving the middle finger salute to the next hapless driver that happens to cross my path. the experiment i perform is instead of allowing myself to get caught up in the insanity of traffic is to laugh and relax as the situation around me deteriorates. what i usually find is that although i may be correct in my judgement about the drivers surrounding me, instead of retaliation i relax and their actions are ineffective in disturbing my peace of mind.
perhaps the next phase of this experiment is to apply the same principles to my waking life -- see what happens to my thought patterns if i treat all those i happen to interact with, with courtesy and respect. maybe i will actually think a little better. it certainly is worth the try!
∞ DT ∞