Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Black Birds.

In the vast canvass of our mind, thoughts keep coming and going just like birds flying in the sky. These birds are of all colors. Let's say peaceful thoughts are like white birds, thoughts of love and passion are pink, thoughts of energy ,enthusiasm and exertion are navy blue which are aligned to our purpose and task. Green birds signify refreshing thoughts and Yellow the color of hope, happiness and brightness. But besides all these colors we also encounter black birds sometimes. Thoughts that disturb us. Thoughts that make us feel distressed, helpless and hopeless. Thoughts that scare us, terrify us. Thoughts of self doubt. We tend to trap these black birds in the prison of our mind. They stay longer there than any of the colourful thoughts. The prison makes them flutter and they make a lot of noise. They want to escape. They were simply flying like the other thoughts through the sky. They didn't come to stay. They were also temporary. But we were so interested in these black ones that we just caught them perforce. And now we are not ready to let them go. We are looking at them again and again. They are ugly. They don't make us feel good. Still we keep paying them so much attention. They are not helping us in any way. Still we are holding them. They seem to be so meaningless and illogical. Still we are not letting them go. They are making so much noise. They are not letting us focus on the good things in our life, on the task at hand. Would it help to know that these black birds were also going to come and go without leaving any footprints behind? That we trapped them and fed them with so much attention that they became so big? You failed on one test and a black bird came flying saying you are no good. But unless you trap this thought it will just make a little noise and then fly away. Another grey one will come and say but it was just one test after all! And then will come another biege colored which will say "We all are imperfect , fallible, human beings, and we can fail at times" . Isn't this one worth paying more attention to? Let go of the black birds...there are so many other colors coming your way! Be ready to welcome them with open arms!! 

35 comments:

  1. Beautifully explained mam! Will try to practice letting black birds fres.

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  2. Power of mindful thinking!! Very well explained

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  3. So well articulated 👌
    In such beautiful way you have explained our thought patterns and how we just keep on holding the one which disturbs us.
    So important for each one of us to understand this.Amazing write up👏👏

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  4. Chinu mam has an expertise in making complex matters simple. Here again she frees us from the complex web of thoughts so smoothly. Kudos maam

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  5. How black birds will fly away....if they could....i wish

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    1. We will have to identify them. Allow them. And if necessary dispute them.

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    2. Thank you for the useful imagery and technique. I will practice this.

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  6. Enjoyed reading and writing simultaneously.Beautifully written for the imperfect human being.

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  7. Enjoyed reading and visualizing simultaneously.Beautifully written for the imperfect humans.

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  8. Chinu mam you have simplified mindfulness so well and practicing this will defenietly help us

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  9. Excellent converting of abstract thoughts into concrete . Reading it was like watching a movie with scenes going on in the mind. Waiting for using this metaphor personally as well as professionally with my clients. Very hopeful of making them understand their irrational thoughts.

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  10. Enjoying reading.very well explained in a very simple way

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  11. Everything was so beautifully explained ma'am. I'll practice to let go of those black birds and replace it with the colorful ones.

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  12. Unlimited claps for this wonderful blog.... Almost everything is included to open eyes. A long, strong rope has been thrown for the drowning ones in darkness. An amazing start of this morning. A word I can say only is *LA-JAWAB*.

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  13. Wonderful article ...so beautifully explained

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  14. Thank you so much ma'am for this imagination... It gave me more scope to think mindfully...

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  15. Very nicely explained which help us whenever we disturbed. Thought process is very important for that this article support 🙏 Thank you ma'am. From Dr Ankush Sawant Principal JNV

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  16. An abstract concept, so simply solidified

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  17. Beautiful metaphor of thoughts!
    Loved it!

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  18. Beautiful metaphor for different thoughts but the question always arises that when we allow the other birds to pass then why do we hold on to the black birds(rewind and play those dark distressing thoughts again and again)...

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  19. So simply yet powerfully put. Brings so much perspective.
    Seher

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  20. A great mindfulness and harnessing exercise! Thank you ma'am.

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  21. So true. Its a choice one makes. Whether to cage the black birds or let them go after they flutter. Sometimes, it's good to enjoy the fluttering sound as it gives hope that now they will fly away making space for better options. My perspective Ma'am. 🙏🏻 Love your writing....

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  22. I think it's beautifully explained...I had been trying for month's to focus on my breathing but all in vain as everyone my thoughts would over power my focus...Through this technique I could focus on my breathing...Thankyou so much for sharing...Kirti Bajpai

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  23. I love the way you make difficult things so easy for us... Love you for that...Kirti Bajpai

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  24. Well said. But , how to send away the black bird? Is it through meditation?

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