Looking for a Rufous

Transitioning:  The Winter Rufous?

If you’re a follower of this blog, hopefully a faithful follower, you probably understand the Rufous angle, my blog theme so to speak. Deja vu, six years back, here’s the link if you care to refresh your memory.

Regarding the Rufous transition, as I look out the window at the bird feeders in my backyard – watching the Juncos, Goldfinches, Sparrows, and other birds, lo and behold the unmistakable shape and colors of the Rufous-sided Towhee as he flits around feeding on the ground (never perching on the feeder). Today being December 21st, he’s supposed to be in the south-lands this time of year. I’m not complaining, I hope he and his mates hang around as long as they want.

I think humans transition too, personally not being a winter person, my first music selection is Four Seasons (Spring), obviously thinking ahead to warmer temperatures and flowers blooming.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Spring)

Introduction to Part II – Mental

What’s in this installment? This is a continuation of my blog series, following Part I, Physical.

I am providing links to my past blogs that are related to this topic, like Mindfulness and any other relevant links as we go.

Speaking of mindfulness, check out these Jon Kabat-Zinn quotes.

Blogger’s disclaimer:

It’s important to me that people enjoy my blog AND learn from it. My most straightforward advice is on my well-worn (note the dirty bill) hat. However, I’m providing other, more intense options for re-oiling your mental machine if you so choose – self-help books, Jon-Kabot-Zinn training, etc. You can pick your own level of engagement but above all:

One of my favorite hats

Setting the Tone for Mental Balance

I’ve included Daily Word quotes in this blog. As part of my daily routine, early in the day I sit down with my journal, my Bible, and my pocket-sized Daily Word booklet and flip to the page for that day. The Daily Word affirmation and the brief text for that day only take maybe 10 minutes or so to read and think about. It makes for a good start for that day. I’m including some of my favorites here. It’s a very inexpensive publication.

Daily Word Readings

June 21, 2019:  “Mind, Body, and Spirit: My mind, body, and spirit work together in harmony.”

June 14, 2019:  “Clarity: Through Spirit within, my mind is clear.”

June 3, 2019:  “Healing Meditation: I am an infinite expression of life. I am whole and well.”

May 10, 2019:  “Focus: I focus on the good, bringing out the best in every situation.”

January 9, 2019:  “Relax: I am relaxed and rejuvenated. For mental restoration, I practice mindfulness.”

May 18, 2019:  “Relax: I relax into a time of prayer.”

The following is a five-step prayer process developed by Unity, the publishers of Daily Word. Please note, as always, I never try to force my religious beliefs on anyone, although my God is spelled with a capital G. Think of this five-step process as a restorative exercise, a counter to our 21st century lifestyles where we constantly experience video images and sound bites, TV commercials, sports on TV, and cell phones always in our right or left hands.

• Step 1: Relax – Breathe deeply and let go of outer concerns.
• Step 2: Concentrate – Focus my thoughts on the Spirit of God within.
• Step 3: Meditate – With an open mind and a receptive heart, feel the peace of God’s presence.
• Step 4: Embrace the Silence – Rest in a consciousness of oneness. (Psalm 46:10)
• Step 5: Give thanks – Leaving yourself open to receive good.

Deep Diving

I was reading a book by Caroline Leaf titled “Switch on Your Brain”. This book is well-written, by a woman who is highly educated and an expert in her field. I found bits and pieces of it very informative and useful, but when she delved into quantum physics – did you know there is a particle even smaller than a quark (the name of the particle escapes me at the moment) – I realized I should move on to my next book. She uses a lot of biblical references to illustrate her ideas.

Dr. Leaf talks about things like this — did you know that memories never go away? Every single memory in our lives is stored in that amazing organ, our brains. For example, when I started on this section, out of the blue I remembered a play I went to in Houston many many years ago, “The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the inmates of the Asylum at Charenton Under the direction of the Marquis de Sade”, surely one of the longer titles ever for a play. Go ahead and Google it.

I remember it was performed in a theater in the round. The audience encircled the stage, which obviously is challenging for the production crew when making scene changes, etc. OK, that’s just an example of a non-volatile memory that somehow miraculously stays in our heads and then all of a sudden – pop, the thought materializes. Of course, sometimes, especially for older people (like me) when you’re trying to remember something it doesn’t materialize at all.

Quote: “If you want to accomplish something, you must expect it of yourself.” (Anonymous)

Just a suggestion for a “lighter” read, this one might work for you:

The Art of Clear Thinking by Wallace Ermes, available as an audiobook, lots of good reviews.

Something Else Mental – Overthinking

In my opinion, sometimes in a situation the plain truth or solution is right in front of us ready to be acted upon. How about this example of trying to get along with your neighbors. Let’s say, they’re leaving for work in the morning or just getting home from work, ask how they’re doing. Or, you get your neighbors mail by mistake, just walk over, knock on the door, and hand it to them. You’d be amazed at how simple courtesies like that can improve our relationships, even the casual ones.

Driving courtesy – you’re in a long line of traffic and someone is trying to merge into the line. You stay back, honk or motion to them, and let them merge. A by-product of that act is that it makes both of you feel good, kind of like when you pet your dog. Stopping to let people cross the street, same thing, a mutual benefit.

More Serious Examples of Overthinking

Voting – study the candidates and pick one. If you don’t have a lot of time, find an unbiased voter’s guide. If you didn’t vote, don’t complain about who was elected.

Religion – don’t be judgemental, let people choose (notice that “mental” is part of judgemental). Personally, I think there is a God (capital “G”) who loves me, but that’s just me.

Relationships – spouses, friends, getting along, cue Beatles music, “All You Need is Love”.

Moving on to Milepost 99

If you read Part I in this series, you know that I place a high value on physical fitness. Let’s put “mental” in perspective. Logic would tell us that mental well-being is on a par with physical. I’ve run 10 marathons, and I think the mental part of that effort is very important, perhaps 60% or more.

The rhetorical question is, “is it important for us to be mentally healthy, both individually and as a society?” What are we as a society doing to be mentally healthy? A cursory assessment of that question might conclude, not very much. Just look at the TV commercials advertising drugs to “get us back on track”. And, check out the number of self-help books that are constantly published. Not to say those books aren’t well-written and helpful, but are there better ways to get back on track? I’m not the expert, but perhaps something in this blog will set you on the track that is best for you.

Merriam-Webster’s definition of mindfulness: “The practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.”

Sidebar: Imprimis Article

I decided to include Alex Berenson’s thought-provoking piece about marijuana because there are so many things going on in our society that surely must make us wonder about what’s really going on. I only mention the article because I think it’s related to my “mental” subject, and I could do a whole blog on the possible root causes of things like mass shootings, drug dependence (including alcoholism), the #metoo movement, information overload and preoccupation with information (and misinformation). Hey, I’m guilty too – my granddaughter called me a “phone head” the other day. How often do we panic when we realize we forgot our cell phones?

I read Berenson’s article and thought, my word, I didn’t know that about marijuana. Having traversed decades in my later life with NO exposure to that magical weed that we so frequently indulged in back when we were “hippies”, I hadn’t really worried about marijuana. I do live in a state that legalized it, and I do have friends with medical issues that praise its beneficial effects and who use it as medicine. However, when I read Alex Berenson’s Imprimis piece, it gave me a broader perspective on marijuana and how it affects people. Rather than try to summarize the publication, I’ll let you form your own conclusions.

A Parting Quote (non-political)

This quote is from a Criminal Minds episode this year:

“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not to his own facts.”  Daniel Patrick Moynihan

A Rufous Gallery

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