At 9.00 pm, after a 10 hour day, I am doing the dishes. I notice I am feeling quite energized and alive. Other nights, I feel tired and haggard. I know my vitality level is created from the state of my mind. Open and free flowing, and my vitality levels rise. Occupied with ‘hard’ thinking and my vitality drops. Tonight, I have nothing on my mind. My attention is fully occupied by the dishes and being in my home.

I’m aware I can easily change my experience in this moment. Think differently. ‘I’m so tired. I hate always having to do this at the end of the day. And then I don’t sleep!’ Result? Feel tired and haggard. I think how funny it is that with a simple switch in thinking I change what I feel. Same activity, different thinking, different feeling (experience). I feel entertained with that thought. I reflect on the fact I don’t have a dishwasher. I think ‘dishwashers are unenvironmental’ and I feel distaste. So I don’t have a dishwasher. Everything starts with a thought.

My Red Cloud Kelpie stands at the door waiting to go outside. I think ‘she’s cute’. I caringly let her out. One minute later, she is waiting at the door to come in. I think, ‘she’s a pain in the butt’. I feel annoyed and let her in. Another moment of ‘hard’ thinking creating a harshness in feeling.

I think that tracking my thinking and feeling moment by moment is a lot of work. I feel tired. And on, and on, and on, it goes. Thinking and feeling.

For all of us.

All of the time.

I think ‘how amazing we are’. Guess how I feel.