Questions Nobody Asked
After writing about mindfulness for a few years, people occasionally ask me questions.
These are not those questions.
Q: Why do I keep checking my phone?
A: Because this time there might be something important.
There isn’t.
But there might be.
And that possibility has apparently been enough to hijack the attention of an entire civilization.
Q: How do I know if I’m overthinking something?
A: The fact that you’re asking is not encouraging.
Q: Why do I replay conversations in my head?
A: Because eventually you’ll think of the perfect response.
Unfortunately, it will arrive somewhere between three hours and three years too late.
Q: What’s the difference between planning and worrying?
A: Roughly three hours.
Q: Should I be living more in the present moment?
A: Probably.
But notice how quickly your mind turned that into another self-improvement project.
Q: Why can’t I relax?
A: Have you tried worrying about it harder?
Q: What is mindfulness?
A: Realizing you’ve been mentally arguing with someone for twenty minutes and they don’t even know they’re in the conversation.
Q: What if people are judging me?
A: They are.
For about seven seconds.
Then they go back to thinking about themselves.
Which, if we’re being honest, is exactly what you’re doing too.
Q: Why do ordinary moments become precious later?
A: Because when they’re happening, they look exactly like ordinary moments.
Q: How do I stop thinking so much?
A: Let me know when you find out.
I’ve been meditating for years and my mind still produces thoughts at a frankly impressive rate.
The goal isn’t to stop thinking.
The goal is to stop believing every thought deserves a board meeting.
Q: What am I supposed to be paying attention to?
A: A more interesting question is where your attention keeps running off to.
Q: Am I doing this right?
A: There it is.
Q: When do I finally get my life together?
A: I’ll let you know.
Q: What if this is it?
A: It?
Q: The moment I’ve been waiting for. The point where life finally starts. The version where everything settles down and makes sense.
A: Ah.
That.
I’ve got some good news and some bad news.
-Scott