storms of thought

Chapter 186

“Life does not consist mainly—or even largely—of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one’s head.” —Mark Twain

A storm of thoughts. How precise! If everyone else’s mental screens are like mine, I can run through two dozen different films clips in less than 60 seconds. And I don’t think that mine is the worse of it. Others I talk to have even larger storms of though scrolling through their brains every day every minute. Containing and constraining these storms is serious work.

But let’s be honest here, even when we are in the zone and fully focused on a task, these storms are at least still rolling on the horizon of our mind, waiting for a moment when the barriers are down to come flooding in again. Perhaps we just need to change our posture toward these storms of thought? As Twain said, they are life. 

But what kind of life? I mean I am more than ok with the storm of thoughts at times throughout the day, but if I want to get anything important done, I have to find a place of restraint and disconnect from the storms of thought, so I can string at least two consecutive thoughts together and solve a problem or a challenge.

This is the discipline of a lifetime. It takes a tremendous mount of mental fortitude to reign in the chaos of the storms of thought, and provide some order and structure and high function. Let’s keep this one a priority!