Obsessions

Ah... to obsess! And about what? How about people and persons. How about family? Yeah... lets obsess again about family - or NOT.

In previous posts? - did I not suggest that obsessing could be handled by the meditating technique of labeling the topic(s) - THINKING. If I did not then let me do it now. In meditation we try to SIT and not "think" about anything but we try to get into the moment which when in "sitting meditation" is a moment of stillness and breathing and that is about ALL. BUT - we have busy minds and we find our thoughts to be active and the instruction is to gently? and without judgment LABEL the thoughts "Thinking" and thusly put them away as such and return to your breathing and to the moment AND THEN when a new or the same thought appears REPEAT. And I have tried to take that teaching and practice outside of the "sitting" and to thus deal with those many things I obsess about. It has been successful! Yeah!

BUT - ??? - certain obsessing thoughts do recur and recur, etc.

OR - maybe I am just currently confronting an old problem area of my life which seems to be an obsession. That would be my hopes? and EXPECTATIONS about my family. To wit, however - I should remember the following (this is coming from my file of quotes):

Dr. Albert Ellis says: " They (the human race) believe they must do well; that other people must treat them kindly, nobly and do their bidding; and that conditions must be absolutely just so - or else they become horribly depressed. It's deadly for people to feel that they MUST have these things. These things are contrary to the facts of life. They are preferences. I'm changing people's musts into preferences."

So..... musts or even preferences are to be turned into: maybes? Things I would like? PREFERENCES!!! Not musts or shoulds... not expectations but I would really, really, really like something to happen/be. And IF it does not happen that way - depression? OR what?

A what would be to limit exposure to things that are disappointing. To people who are disappointing. OR... are people or things DISAPPOINTING? I guess there is a lot to be said for NO - outside forces are not disappointing.. HMmm..... this is a hard one! I guess that inside I get disappointed and that results in my getting or being ??? - sad? depressed? unhappy? .... all that. To say that such and such or so or so doesn't HAVE TO DO OR BE whatever??? Does that make the thing less unpleasant?

On another hand - ONE CAN ONLY CONTROL ONESELF. Controlling anyone or anything else is such a awful thing!!! In fact - controlling oneself is somewhat questionable, too!!! Being in control is wholly questionable, so questions the Buddhists. Control equals grasping. AAAAHHH.....

So... THIS blog is a meditation. And - I really must really meditate!!!! And PRACTICE the NOW and also practice and recite the chants I have found and chosen. And find some more, too.

AAAAHHHH.....