10.30.2009

The Mind as a Tool


"The human mind is like one of those kitchen gadgets featured in late-night infomercials. It beats, twists, separates, slices, dices and otherwise transforms everything that enters it. You gave someone a carrot, but before you know it, she’s turned it into a bouquet of julienned strips."
-From "Fundraising Success"

Reading about marketing always makes me think about how my own mind and decision process works. How am I taking in life's carrots?

My mind tries to control what life gives me, either through planning or anxious fear. If my mind was a kitchen appliance it would be a industrial sharpness and strength peeler. You know, the kind that take the icky skin off carrots and potatoes. Its not like the skin is toxic, but the peeler shreds off the excess of the carrot until its only the most "perfect" orange root.

Life without carrot skin is better anyway, it promises. Just look at how much more they charge for "baby" carrots! You can do better than the grimy skin! Just watch out for your fingers...

But... my mind isnt content to just be a vegetable peeler. It wants to keep peeling, past the skin, digging into the best parts of experience, still someone finding bits of skin. Others might see that the carrot is fine now- not my peeler. It can always find more imperfection to strip away.

What happens if you keep peeling the carrot?

You are left with nothing but shreds.

What a metaphor for my life experiences and how my mind wants to control them!

No comments:

Post a Comment