Experiencing the Intelligence of Not Knowing, Part 1

Life really is simple; however, most people find a way of speeding of up their thinking, by worrying about a bill, being overly concerned about the future, regretting the past, or getting stuck in resenting their jobs. In the process life passes us by. When we bring awareness to stressful moments we think more clearly and we might see our own unbalanced view as the root cause to an inappropriate, overreaction on our part, perhaps our behavior could be out of proportion to what the actual circumstance is. The purpose of this blog is to explore the mechanisms of analytical, process-oriented thinking versus the free flowing mode of thought experienced when we are in the moment.

Most people have been taught through the educational system which is to learn to listen almost exclusively through our analytical mind, which mainly consists of memorizing or concentrating. We compare what we are listening to, to what we already know, agreeing or disagreeing and processing the data as the message enters our mind. This type of learning has limitations and can take us away from being in the moment.

Listening with nothing on our minds is a completely different experience. Listening with no interpretation, prejudice, preconception, expectation, or anticipation is the exact opposite of our analytical mind. True listening with an open mind, even if we previously disagreed with it, a new awareness may appear, bringing with it a new or heightened awareness to a situation that was not seen previously seen. If we are living in the present moment we will be more aware of our present feelings and impulses. This awareness allows us to navigate more smoothly through the moods, emotions, and circumstances of life. Listening in a free flowing mode is thought recognition. We can recognize the quality of our own thinking and this enables us to get back on track with being in the moment.