We talked about how many of us wake up with feelings of exhaustion, negativity, and resistance to the challenges that the day promises to serve up. We all connected with this reality as it is common among some people who wake up early, or that have their days planned out by parents and caregivers.
Then we talked about an analogy for the successful setting of our intentions and the bringing together of our internal resources for the day. This analogy was the contrast between Thermometers and Thermostats.
Thermometers can be useful in what they do. The students identified that Thermometers take the temperature of the atmosphere that they are placed in. They can tell us a concrete number to represent the heat or cold that we experience in that environment.
Next, we discussed what a Thermostat was. Thermostats not only tell the temperature of the atmosphere but they control other resources that can bring the environment to the desired temperature.
To bring home the analogy, I asked how useful it would be for someone to use a Thermometer to tell them that the room they are sweating in was 125 degrees. Without a way of adjusting the environment, this measurement would not relieve the suffering of anyone sitting in the room. Only with a Thermostat would the reading of the extreme temperature be useful, as the Thermostat has the ability to change the environment to a more suitable temperature.
Our minds are much more useful when they play the role of the Thermostat. We do need to recognize when there are uncomfortable environments, unsuitable for productivity and enjoyment of our days. Then, we must bring our resources together to tame our environment and make it suitable for the challenges that the day will present.
This is ONE of the purposes of our morning Calm & Concentration session.
- Mr. Loren Marvin
Co-Founder & Lead Teacher @Paradigm Development Center
