Get Back In The Car
Last night, at my women's meeting, the topic turned to staying in the moment. A number of people shared their tricks or mantras for bringing themselves back to the moment when their minds wander off to worrying about things that might happen in the future. I really needed to hear these things as I have a terrible time of staying in the moment and I'm really trying to put my focus in the day. One of the benefits of this is that it slows time down in a way...I'm paying attention to NOW instead of fearing the future. Still, it's a chore. The minute I am out of bed my mind starts obsessing over things I have to do at work, worrying about my parents, etc.
So I really appreciated the mantra this one woman shared. She described how she does a lot of her thinking in the car when she's driving her kids here and there. When she finds her mind wandering off, she tells herself "Get back in the car!" She now uses this line even when she isn't in the car.
I've decided to adopt this one as my mantra too. I have to laugh though. Another woman had described the issue as "keeping your head where your feet are". This morning, as I was out for my morning walk, where my head starts to swim with all the things I have to attend to, I kept mixing the mantras up so it came out some thing like "Keep your feet in the car!!!"
Today I am grateful for:
Many months of sober hangover free days
My women's meeting and the wisdom that is shared there
The flock of wild turkeys that are roaming my walking route (22 babies, and three adults)
July in New England
posted by Redhead Gal at 5:43 AM
14 Comments:
A good post all about the solution.
Thanks.
I like that, get your feet back in the car!
Hey I think tha turkeys will help keep in the now. Did you count them one by one?
This is great suggestion, about the feet. THank you for sharing.
hmm, great read for me this morning! thanks!
Don't slam the door to fast. Great solution. I try to keep my hands in my own pockets...
July in New England is the best. Even on August 1st. I've got to get better at staying in the moment too. Between worrying about what's next on the list and obsessing over the past, I need a mantra. I tend to use the serenity prayer. I'm just not feeling the wisdom part yet. Head, feet, cars, it's all very complicated, isn't it.
I call all that thinking in my head "the Committee". I get to thinking some bad things so I "Fire the Committee"!
I like get back in the car, too.
Hey, you are close to the big day, huh?
LOL ! hope this comment finds you with your feet back in the car..!
that was a great read Red.
I too am practicing ways of just staying in the day as a whole 24 hour moment. It is tough.My mind can think too much sometimes too and I really need to keep a realistic prespective.I pratice patience.I remember what I can change and what I cant.It is tougher some days more than others,
hence living one day at a time.
Great read.I have you back on my new blogroll so hope to see you more often.
Thanks for sharing.
I had a sponsor who used to say "Get in the f*&&%^ car and go!" but that relates to something else entirely!
Thanks for stopping by my site!
Brad :-)
thanks for your comment on my blog. i suspect i knew that, but it's always good to hear it from someone else too...
belated congratulations on 11 months... you're getting to the big 1 year mark soon!
You asked (on my Saturday post) about Rule 62.
See page 149 of the 12/12 regarding Tradition 4.
When I was new my sponsor always told me to be where my hands and feet were....never made sense at first but I enjoy it now. I counted 200 rainbows in the soap bubbles from last nights dishes!
ha that was a great post. I will keep my feet in the car for sure.
I heard at a meeting: "When AA says something is a 'suggestion,' I think they really mean it, like when the cops used to say to me, 'I suggest you get back in your car and shut your big mouth.'"
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