The Thing That Keeps You Sane

“You need to do the thing that keeps you sane. Whatever that thing is.”

There’s a story behind those sentences and I’ll get to it in a moment. But let me start this week with two questions:

What is the thing that keeps you sane? And, do you do that thing every day?

Take a moment to think about it, because the answer isn't always obvious and it also isn't always at the tip of your tongue. But it's an incredibly valuable gauge of our general balance and well-being.

Now let me get to the story of those two sentences.

A nurse said them to me a few hours after my twins were born. She was there to coach me on practical things — like changing diapers, feedings, and sleep schedules for babies born prematurely — but those two sentences served the most practical purpose of all in my life just then.

That is, providing the anchor to keeping me sane.

I hand-printed her two sentences multiple times on index cards and posted copies of them around the house. On the refrigerator door. On my bathroom mirror. At my desk. I slid the cards into books I was reading, and I tilted them against the lamp on my nightstand.

Do the thing that keeps you sane. Whatever it is.

Those index cards were constant reminders, and they helped. They have been on my mind these past few weeks. Curiously, they've also made a reappearance. At my desk. On my bathroom mirror. Tilted against the lamp on my nightstand.

Maybe you could use the reminder too, to know the thing that keeps you sane (even if it's a different thing from the day to day) and to actually do it.

I can assure you, it helps.

For me, in my life just now, meditation is the thing I need to do every single day - to recalibrate, to anchor, to calm, to maintain perspective, and yes, indeed, to keep me sane.

It's a key part of Beck's wellness practices also, and that's why this week ABG is happy to offer you a tool that makes sanity-keeping meditation easier. It's thanks to our Community member, and Lead Contributor, Tamara Stanfill, who is finishing her Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher Training Program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. As part of that process, Tamara shared meditation techniques with our Community and recorded them, so that you can also access them on-demand whenever it works for you. Each audio is two to eight minutes long, and you can find them on the ABG site HERE.

Whenever you remember to do the thing that keeps you sane.

We hope it helps.

Thank you, Tamara, and congratulations on finishing your program!

Namaste,
Cathy