Grab the Mental Remote

The Volume

It never seems to stop. At least it seems like it never stops. Even in our quiet moments, the internal and external noises can seem either deafening or exhausting. We have the endless internal chatter, dialogue, and ruminations that keep our minds constantly in motion. We have the numerous external background noises that distract and break into our thoughts either derailing them or redirecting them. It never seems to stop. The noise. The volume. How do we turn it down? How do we slow it down? How do we turn down the volume?

The Mind

There is a term I love because it is such an accurate picture of a very real internal battle. The term is “monkey mind.” You may have heard this phrase as it relates to meditation study or practice. I also like to think of this as a “squirrel mind.” The idea is the same. Monkeys and squirrels epitomize unsettled jumpiness. They are all over the place. This is just like the mind, jumping from thought to thought, never really settling in. This is a great analogy but a frustrating state for the mind.

The TV

I just started reading a book from Chaplain Ray Leonardini called Finding God Within: Contemplative Prayer for Prisoners. This book was an amazing find. I’m a huge fan of Richard Rohr, Thomas Keating, Thomas Merton, and St. Francis, so I love the contemplative mindset and the search to find deep spiritual peace. This book is a tool to help inmates deal with the very real mental struggles of incarceration. Ray talks about how we naturally “turn down the volume” when we tune in our focus. When we watch TV and someone begins talking to us, we often lock in to the conversation and don’t hear the TV. The TV is still there, the noises are still there, but we have turned down the volume with focus. This is a beautiful tool our minds are equipped with that can help us find peace. It can help us quiet our minds, and settle down the monkey and the squirrel, so that we can find moments of peace, quiet, and calm.

The Remote

So how do we turn down the volume? How do we use this tool of focus to tame the monkey and the squirrel? One way might be meditation. One way might be contemplative prayer. One way might be to get lost in an activity we love. Regardless, slowing down the mind and turning down the volume requires focus. And focus requires practice. I hear of people who meditate regularly for 20-30 minutes and sometimes longer. Then I hear others who say to just start for 5-10 minutes. For me, I like to start super small. With just a breath. I like to practice turning down the internal and external volume with just a moment. Then I can work my way up from there. I’m learning to use the remote, moment by moment with practice throughout the day.

The Practice

I don’t have to sit down for long blocks of time to feel the effects of focus. When we are aware of our mind going bonkers, we can simply pause for a breath, grab the remote, and bump the volume for a moment. By the way, I do set aside time every morning for contemplative prayer. I love that time to bring peace into my mind and spirit. Sometimes it’s quite a wrestling match, but I’m getting closer. My remote is always just a breath away. I don’t really have a desire to completely “clear my mind” and think nothing. For me, I like to think of it as making room for God. I don’t need to talk, and I don’t necessarily need Him to talk. But I do like to keep that door open so if something comes up, I’m more likely to hear.

The Glimpse

So there you go. There’s another glimpse into the monkey mind of Thom Miller. Yes, I still have volume control issues with the internal and external noises that fill and surround me, but it’s getting better. One breath at a time. One tap of the remote at a time. One practice at a time. I’m slowly learning to turn down the volume with focus. Give it a try this week and let me know how it goes. Grab the remote, take a breath, and get started now.

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash