Originally posted on December 24, 2021

What are you thinking for Christmas? [A confession] 

In my spiritual practice, my spiritual teacher’s talks have me continually facing my faults and imperfections. It’s humbling to say the least. When I’m open enough, I have moments when I can let the soft, sweet feeling of humility penetrate my defensive arrogance. My latest personal self-growth effort is written on a post it, taped to the bottom of my computer.

Clean your mind.
 
I’ve spent plenty of time, days and years cleaning my house, but I have not been spent nearly so much focus on the need to “clean my mind.” I fill my mind with all kinds of negative news, gossip and judgements but have spent little time cleaning up and cleaning out the mess. When I do, I have been so easily habituated to let it pile up again.

 
I’m asking you to hold me accountable. [Yikes!]
 
This Christmas and for my new year’s resolution, my commitment is to keep in the forefront of my mind, a greater degree of mind cleanliness. Well, what does that mean exactly in my day-to-day practical life?
 
Here’s how I “think” I’m going to tackle it.
 
I must start by confessing an addiction that I’ve been slowly working on recovering from…that is to the “bad news.” Kind of like rubber necking at an accident on the freeway, these past four to five years have been filled with dramatic tensions from all directions. Politically, morally, environmentally, socially, we’ve watched every one of our values and systems being demoralized, exploited and abused. There’s a whole new public low that has become the new normal. I want to be done with the addiction to being shocked and affronted. Enough.
 
For me this means placing new limits, letting go of reading and watching the aggrandizement of the bad news and finding somewhere else to place the productivity of my mind. I’m making a different choice. I’m watching and listening to educational topics that are of interest to me. My latest fascination is on “gut microbiome,” L. Reuteri yogurt, and anti-angiogenesis in cancer. What’s yours?
 
So here’s my formula, the humble gift I can offer you this year if you’d like to be an accountability buddy with me this Christmas.

To clean your mind:

1. Meditate on the positives.

2. Omit the negatives.

3. Reveal your faults.

4. Conceal the faults of others.

For more great tips and teachings from Laura visit our Youtube channel HERE.