How To Catch A Slippery Thought
Where do thoughts hide?
I sit on a rock at the edge of the pond and follow first one thought and then another as they travel around in circles going nowhere.
Occasionally one will break through the surface, leaping into my consciousness for a fleeting moment before plunging back into the waters of a mind full of rocks, reeds and driftwood and teeming with other ‘schools of thought’.
Occasionally a thought will hide behind a chest of sunken treasure, guaranteed to distract me from my intention to snag it and reel it in . Photo by Artur Roman from Pexels
What to do while waiting for a bite?
Sailing on an ocean full of many distractions, I need to find a container that is big enough to hold a full days catch if the fishing is plentiful.
The smallest thoughts are useful for bait to catch bigger ones so I need a bucket, or even just a fish bowl to put them in—a small container where I can watch them swim around and stay healthy until I decide to use them or toss them back into the ocean.
I see this blog as such a container not only for my free swimming thoughts, but also a place that invites others…you…to come fishing for creative ideas, solutions to problems, resources, or maybe just a fun read. Photo by Alan Cabello from Pexels
3 Ways thoughts are like fish
1. Most fishing is a solitary sport but the great value in fishing with others is what they teach me.
I learn from others that fish tend to favor certain spots in a lake.
There are some thoughts that hide in the cool dark recesses of our minds and must be teased out with a lot of patience.
Just the right bait tied to something heavy will carry it deep into the recesses of my mind. My favorite bait is ‘curiosity’. photo by Mael-Balland on Upsplash
2. Other thoughts travel in community as if one of them knew where they were going.
This, of course, is a myth.
Thoughts will grab onto the waves within my mind and go wherever the current takes them.
Sometimes it is best to have a light colorful lure that moves along the surface to tempt a thought to grab on so I can pull it in.For my lure I prefer red – the color of passion. Pboto by Mego-Er from Upsplasnh
3. And then there are thoughts that swim randomly as if looking for something…perhaps the worm on the hook while I sit quietly, my mind on the distant horizon until I feel the gentle tug on the line and I sit up alert and excited.
I just snagged a thought. I’m sure this is going to be the “Big One”.
Pboto by Mael-Balland from Upsplash
Care to go fishing with me?
Come with plenty of curiosity and passion. Together with an open mind these make great bait.
If you don’t snag anything on this visit, you are welcome to return, to drop your line into the blog and see what you catch. Photo by VisionPic .net from Pexels
