You Think You're Not But You Are

Thank You C for this award! You are the sweetest!

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Which brings me to think about thinking and how powerful it can be. When we pick up a book to read, we think. While watching TV, we think. While engaged in a conversation, we think. While blogging, we think. Sometimes, we may not be aware that we are thinking. I guess our brains look for it?

Thinking allows us to learn. As we process our thoughts, we discover insights which make us more aware of who we are.

When I was away from home for 6 weeks for my training with my new job, I would find myself sitting down, doing nothing. While senior employees were busy about doing their everyday tasks, there I was in the corner, quietly waiting until someone gave me work to do. It drove me crazy. I didn't understand why I had to be so far away from home doing nothing. So when I got the chance to talk with the SVP of the training department, I shared with him my feelings and opinion about this. I expressed the feeling of disappointment doing nothing when all the while I was expecting to be trained -- to learn. I was expecting him to empathize and understand where I was coming from. I was taken aback when he said, " the quiet time you spent just sitting down, looking around you, listening to others was in itself the training - the learning experience." Because, he said, all the thoughts and feelings and emotions that were running through my mind and my heart were teaching me. It may not have been the technical training I was expecting, but I was still learning.

I stood up and could not collect my thoughts. I wanted to cry. I felt humiliated. I felt sad. I found time to be alone and be quiet and I thought of all the things the SVP told me. And then slowly, I began to realize that yes, it was indeed a learning experience.

Months later, I am slowly starting to comprehend what he meant. What it all meant. I understand the importance of keeping still to listen to yourself without having to say anything. To think to yourself. It is important to know how to, once in a while, step back from the deafening chitter chatter of the people around you and just be quiet.

Think.