Why, hello, there!
Today I’m going to share a metaphor that is a fun way to describe our brain.
Thoughts are bubbles.
Fizzy bubbles rising into our awareness, neither good nor bad.
Sometimes life experiences sink to the bottom of our mind and compost.
Things get swampy down there below our day-to-day thinking.
I call bubbles rising from that composted stuff “swamp bubbles.”
Thoughts we don’t choose on purpose are just nothin’ but bubbles.
Light. Transitory. Meaningless on their own.
I love the image of “thought are bubbles” in my mind.
Blip, pop, up they rise into my conscious awareness and sometimes pass just as quickly.
I used to worship the bubbles and think, “What do the bubbles tell me to do?!?”
I would shake the bottle to get more bubbles to move.
“Think! Think! Figure it out! More bubbles will help me find the right bubbles, I’m sure of it”
I used to try to use thinking to solve my thought problems.
“I am confused about these bubbles so let’s get some more bubbles in here!”
BUBBLES!!!!
It seems that we have a strong cultural bias for intelligent action.
Making a “good” decision using our thoughts, then doing the stuff the good thoughts tell us to do.
That’s the ideal, right?
But can you trust your thinking?
I sure don’t, not anymore!
Here’s an example:
I love walking my dog, Bailey. Except when I don’t.
“Look at her sniffing the grass. She’s so in the moment. And look at the sunset – the entire sky looks pink and orange!” – and –
“Are you really going to sniff this grass this long? I’m getting bored. And we’re missing the best part of the sunset – I can’t see it from this part of the street!”
This literally could be different thought bubbles floating up within 2 minutes of each other.
So which one is the “real” me?
This one, that one, both or neither?
“I’m not good enough” rises from the swamp just as readily as “I’m a freakin’ rock star!”
I love some of my fizzy thought bubbles. And some of them I simply label “swamp bubbles” and ignore.
The less I think about my thinking, the lighter I feel.
And light and open and playful are all feelings that help me enjoy the living of my life.
Give it a try this week!
When you notice getting wrapped up in your thoughts, pause and say, “BUBBLES!”
See if this playful response causes you to see the situation more lightly.
Love you madly,
Lisa
P.S. Have you seen the movie “Finding Nemo”? MY BUBBLES!!! See a clip here!