Dump It
Katrina here. Today is the dawning of a new day! I’m going to start writing my *great* posts here on this blog. All of the posts on katrinawillis.wordpress.com will be art-specific, so be sure to check those out (or sign up for an RSS feed) if you’re interested in the art posts (I post those quasi-monthly).
In North America, we have a hard time sitting still, being quiet, or being with others in silence. Noise = comfort. In high school, I used to study with the TV running and the computer and a side conversation going at the same time. And I would venture to say that high schoolers today are doing the same thing still. I’m actually listening to music as I write this now. 
Try this exercise: take five minutes, and if you have one near, set an alarm to let you know when the 5 minute mark hits. Turn your computer screen off. Sit upright in the quiet and focus on one thing in the room. Breathe deeply. Try to let you mind STOP. Do not go to sleep.
….. how was it?
If you’re anything like me, you probably have experienced days where you’re thinking deeply on something… and there is constant brain chatter (leading to anxiousness). I wake up thinking about “things” and I spend the entire day thinking about “things” as if my thinking will result in some sort of change. “If I just think deeply or hard enough, I’ll live wisely.” If I meet someone who doesn’t “think” as much as I “think” then they’re obviously more hollow headed than me. End of story. Until recently…
I have been seeking peace of mind. Jesus told us that those who listen to him and do what he says will be like the man who built his house on the rock. When the rains come and the winds blow, the house will sit firm. But those who only listen to his words build their house on the sand. The writer of Proverbs says that as a dog returns to its vomit so a fool returns to his folly (26:11). In English, we call this rumination. We’re so comfy with our own vomit that we won’t seek out new food.
I’ve just recently read Armchair Mystic by Mark Thibodeaux and Getting Things Done by David Allen. In the mix, I’ve also been meditating on the Matthew 6:33 mantra (Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all of these things shall be added to you…)
The result has been the freeing art of the brain dump. What? How do you do that? Stay tuned.
miller 2:50 pm on November 30, 2007 Permalink
yeah! just dump it!
Mark 5:21 pm on November 30, 2007 Permalink
i’m looking forward to what comes out in the mix of “getting things done” and “armchair MYSTIC” (they sound so diametrically opposed). One seems to center on “hearing the words” and the other book focuses on “doing”. But isn’t it true that we spend so much time “doing” but forgetting “WHAT HE SAYS”? Maybe that’s a stab at a balance of being and doing – we must be still long enough to hear what he’s saying, so that when we get up to do it, we won’t run in the wrong direction.
A good friend once told me, “For God, running ahead of him is the same thing as running away from him.”
Nancy 7:21 pm on November 30, 2007 Permalink
I’m tuned in here Katrina. Can’t wait to read what’s next.
Jenna 11:27 pm on December 1, 2007 Permalink
This sounds interesting. I love the Mark and Katrina blog combo:)