John P. Schulz: Find The Living Room

Quotes and Notes #120, March 3

“A poet is a nightingale, who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds.”–Percy Bysshe Shelley

Meditation is a wonderful device for self-soothing and there is a myriad of ways to use this concept. Meditation, by definition, includes solitude. “Singing” to yourself in quiet may be accomplished, for example by,

• Just closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths while sitting still.
• Focusing your mind on a place or a scene and studying it mentally until your confusion of extraneous thoughts diminishes.
• Writing also serves as a meditation, especially in a “journaling” manner, is a good way to examine your thoughts and feelings.
• Keep in mind that your journaling efforts, written in a book or on a scrap of paper, may be discarded, saved, or shared. It’s your choice.
• In any reflective occasion, it is a good idea to act as if someone has just asked, “How did that make you feel?”

Sing a song of cheer and then share the cheer with others.

Everything is going to be all right

John P. Schulz