"The Language of Letting Go"

     Few books on my shelves have prompted more discussion and helped more people navigate the sometimes perilous waters of life than Melody Beattie's book, The Language of Letting Go. If I could point out three or four required reading books, this book would be in the top two. Daily topics seem to be extremely relevant, and personal to whatever one might be going through.

I normally recommend only those books that have stood the test of time, relevance and helpfulness. Beattie's book does all three. Published in 1990 by Hazelden, this book has sold millions of copies and continues to be one of the classic self-help (how trite) books....it is much more. The book can be used as for Daily Reading, topical reading, cover-to-cover, or any way you chose.

Get it. Read it. Enjoy it. Benefit from it.
Amazon.com

"Jabbery"

"Jabbery" is a word that I coined to describe what goes on in most brains. The mind, created by the brain, is typically a non-stop voice machine. The "voice" inside your head (not schizophrenia) is called cognition or thought. Thinking carries the substance of life, the mind. And, the mind is often filled with "jabbery". So, what can we do about it?

First, we can become conscious of it. We can pay attention to our thoughts, the voice. Second, we can begin to weed out (quickly) what is worthy and what is not. This takes concentrated practice. Third, we can begin to take control of our "in-between" thought life. In other words, we can begin to slow the mental processes down through our practice of meditation and contemplation. The closest thing we westerners do that resembles meditation is sitting quietly in line at the McDonalds drive-through. Sit still with no noise. Focus on silence inside the brain. Stay there for as long as possible. Do that often.

Jabbery is an option not a fate.