There are moments when I’m like “THIS!” Those are the moments when I compare life to a tidal wave. That seems to be the most suitable word to describe the force that is constantly shoving unasked-for circumstances my way – circumstances that are destructive and require me to take action when I’d rather sit on the couch and twiddle my thumbs.
At other times though – when I’m like “that” – it’s almost as if I am the force of influence on my circumstances; like a surfer riding a wave, I am doing something with or to the circumstances and not the other way around.
Let me give an example based on my sleep pattern.
Every now and then I can’t fall asleep, or I wake up somewhere around 3 o’clock in the morning, unable to fall back to sleep.
When I am like “THIS!” I am disgruntled. I toss and turn and worry if I’ll be able to function properly the next day. And by the time the alarm clock goes off, I am usually completely exhausted.
Then I have nights where I’m like “that.” Nights when I simply accept that the sandman neglected me. My acceptance might not put me back to sleep, but I am surprisingly refreshed when it is time to seize the day. And that’s regardless of whether I just lie there all night doing nothing, get up and enjoy a good meal, go on an early hike, or sit down and do some writing. As a matter of fact, that’s when many of my articles come about. Normally it is hard for me to carve out time to write, but when I am putting my insomnia to use, I have all the time in the world.
Another example of my being like “THIS!” versus “that” comes up when I’m hiking. When I am out there in the desert, I want to enjoy all the wonderful things around me: the view of the mountains, the smell of the plants, the sun on my skin, the wind in my hair, and the sound of the sand crunching underneath my boots. It also tickles me pink watching little Sherman, my dog, trotting right beside me. He is so adorable with his paws hitting the trail and his head raised up hiiiiiiigh in the air, his cute little ears bouncing with each step, and his nostrils quivering as he is picking up all kinds of scents.
However, with a mind like mine, I am often stuck in my head – regurgitating thought after thought and missing out on these precious moments. When I am like “THIS!” the endless stream of thoughts annoys me. And the more I fight it, the worse it gets.
But when I’m like “that,” I allow my mind to do its thing. I don’t fight it, but I don’t fuel it either. When I do that, the chatter either runs dry or thoughts of a different nature pop up – thoughts in the form of ideas that I can use for articles. Like this little article right here. It came to me during a hike and in the early morning hours at that! 😴😄
Brigitte Schneider
aka Ms. THIS! and that …
Copyright © 2021, Brigitte Schneider. If you wish to quote text from this article contact the author by leaving a comment.
Love this one – thanks for the reminder! (I had a “THAT” night last night ;-)!)