Anonymous Days


The mind is like the back panel of a VCR or DVD deck, with a variety of audio and video inputs and outputs. Some days we take in, others we put out. Sometimes we are idle, which is good for the gears. We shouldn’t be trapped into making assumptions about what mode we ought to be in at all times because we are never the same at any given moment. When we project what we think we should be, or strive to fulfill our notion of what others expect of us, we are doing a disservice to our operating systems and are in danger of freezing up.

If we are dispensing data when our instincts are ripe for analysis, we will contribute mostly predigested drivel, nothing of consequence or originality proffered. Thus ‘Writers Block’, the storied inertia of the creative mind. We need to hear what our minds are telling us, much like obeying the body’s request to take a rest every now and then. If your VCR is whining and sputtering after being on for a long period, you turn it off. The mind, having no physical substance, eludes us into concluding that we are doing something wrong if it doesn’t respond to our requirements for efficiency. We are. We should be shutting it down.

Throughout history examples of this dilemma have been documented. Writers, scientists, etc. have regaled us with tales of having strived mightily to solve a problem, only realizing a solution after abandoning the struggle for more restful pursuits. The mind is best at working in the sub-conscious arena. Sometimes it’s a sluggish download for answers, but that is the price of a dial-up existence. You can upgrade, consciously hone your abilities and awareness, but you must allow the brain to function at it’s own pace.

While we are sleeping, our minds are at work digesting information and formatting solutions. We call it dreaming. It is the way we work, the operating systems of our existence. It is far more effective to work with it than against it. And that brings us to my predilection for what I call ‘anonymous days’. These are the hours in my life where I can pursue a thought without interruption, actually listen to what my mind is offering without the backdrop of doorbells, telephones, and polite conversation. At the expense of being dubbed an idler, I will at times effectively enhance my view of being and reality, recharge my energy cells, and maybe posit an interesting take on all that is before me. On days such as these, I honestly take comfort in the notion that the world does not know I exist. I am then free to become.

Arrange for an anonymous day every now and again. Enjoy the luxury of an introduction to yourself and an opportunity to assess your individuality without being filtered through the subjective eyes of another. A personal epiphany is like a vitamin for the soul. You’ll grow faster, straighter, and in the right direction.