Cruise Control

I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it.                                                   Jonathan Winters

I am a woman not known for her slowness. I tend to speed through life, I smell the roses at a clip. Yet I am also not one who jogs, swims or bikes at top speed. I move quickly but not frenetically. 

Knowing this about me, my friends were amazed when I confessed that I drive almost everywhere on cruise control. Why? Years ago I discovered that having the constant pressure on the pedal below my right foot was not only an effort, but I found I naturally tended to push myself past the speed limit. Hence I resorted to cruise control. So this is a discipline via a machine, to switch into cruise, set at the speed limit and relax. I even set the cruise if that limit is only 25 MPH. 

How does this apply to my life? I am not by nature a meditative, mindful, calm, serene person. I have had to discipline myself to become all of that and more. Each morning, especially as these days are increasingly dark and rainy, I stay in bed for at least 20 minutes and meditate. Things, events, dreams float through my mind and I am the ambassador of good will, letting things drift away as the next thought wafts through. This is meditation in the most primitive of settings: a bed, covers, a pillow and me. 

Any job worth doing is worth doing badly.                     G.K. Chesterton

How does the cruise control attitude extend to my other dealing in life? Perhaps this is peculiar to me but when I'm about to start a huge task that is going to require a Herculean effort I say to myself, "I'll just start and go at a slow pace and see how much I can get done." The first example that comes to mind is rolling huge logs out of our woods to split and then stacking the split wood. I strain with effort and keep thinking, "well, I'll just keep going..." Eventually the job gets done because I'm on automatic pilot, cruise control if you will. It works for me.

Writing is easy; all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.     Gene Fowler

Sadly, this also applies to my writing, getting started is usually the hardest part. One of my sisters says this blog is my 'Senior Project'. This project consists of me attempting to give away [at the low cost of nothing]--- many of my therapy tips. I've selected the ones that have helped my clients [and me] throughout my long years in practice. But to even give those tips away, I must write in either an amusing, engaging or understandable fashion. This requires discipline, effort, and thought to relay my insights, common sense and truth. Is it work? Yes. Is it a joy?Yes. Is it guilt producing if I abandon my project for too long? Big yes. The cruise control method let's me just start, go at a low speed if I like and put one word down after another. Simple, right? Well, no but the rewards are there if you're willing to start and cruise control will get you there.

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