Have you ever been totally engaged in a movie? 

I mean, just lost in it and unaware of your surroundings?

And then someone coughs, or their cell phone rings (grrr), or a garbage truck comes out of nowhere and squashes a supporting character and you look over at your date and say, "WTF??" 

When that happens to me, I'm pulled straight out of the movie and become very aware that I am sitting in a theater watching a movie on a screen with a bunch of other people. 

Sometimes, it can take me a minute to re-engage in the film: for the screen to dissolve into a fictional world that I can fully immerse myself in.  

Now you may be asking, "What on Earth does this have to do with meditation, Casey?"

And I thank you for your inquiry.  Allow me to explain.

If we think of "the movie" as the noise, the story in our mind - we are pretty much always at the movies, right? 

There is always STORY happening in our head.  When...

So you know, even the idea of writing a blog makes me very uncomfortable. 

I've abandoned my share of well intended blogs (paving a stretch of the road to hell).

I've been an introvert since before it was cool (Thanks for that, Susan Cain).

I also know that I have discovered a few things over the course of the last few decades - things I think can help other people.

And it's not like I've discovered the cure for hangnails, or revolutionized the ice cream industry.  There's nothing new under the sun, including the ingredients in the soup I've cooked up. 

But I'm the one cooking it.  So there's that. 

And it's my special recipe.  So that's something, too.

I know I'm supposed to find my voice.  Create great copy.  Sell it! 

But holy shit, that's exhausting, and I'd rather be helping people.

And yes - I have been known to swear like a trucker.  So I'm just going to get that out there now in case you're...