Mental Whiteboard
This is an extension of last week’s essay - where I wrote about how sometimes my active mind keeps me up at night, processing the events of the day (often conflict, or potential conflict). Once we process these events, I have learned that it is possible (even preferable) to spend some time visualizing the past event - but rewrite it in a way that incorporates what you learned from the experience. This turns the event into something that will be far less likely to aggravate you in the future. It also reframes the experience into something that will serve you better (and more easily) in the future.
I’m not suggesting that we should try to drastically revise our history, but I suppose such a thing might be possible with enough work. What I do suggest is tidying up our past experiences a bit, so that they can serve us more effectively as we move forward.
This is no different than using visualization techniques in preparation for future events. Have a big game coming up? Mentally rehearsing how you want the game to go, how you will handle adversity when it arises - these types of visualizations are proven to improve performance.
I’m not an expert, but I have come to learn the distinction between our minds and our nervous systems. Our minds can know something to be true, but if our nervous systems aren’t settled on that truth, we can still be very uncomfortable behaving in line with it. So, when we apply this type of visualization to past events, it puts our nervous system in better order, making it more comfortable to act in alignment with this “settled truth” in the future.
Achieving alignment between our minds and our larger nervous systems allows us to be our best selves. Misalignment of these things creates compression, and sometimes this hinders our ability to perform.
Think of your mind as a whiteboard. If a memory of a past event is messy, erase it and replace it with a tidier version. And use the whiteboard to prepare for upcoming life events, increasing the likelihood that they will play out in accordance with your vision.
I know it sounds a little woo-woo, but keeping our minds and larger nervous systems in sync makes for better living.
Sunday Supper
Sheet-pan Chicken with Apple, Fennel and Onion
Crisp Gnocchi w/ Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad w/ Pear & Halloumi
Sunday Music
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Live on KEXP
DJ Sophia Melody spinning Autumn music in a stream
Anat Cohen, featured Live at Emmet’s Place
Jesse Welles, Live at Austin City Limits
Enjoy!
If you know anyone who might like this essay, please share it with them.
Have a great week ahead! You can do anything you set your mind to. Let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love,