Sometimes I wake in the morning and my mind is running through a list of things that "must" be done. I think this comes from fear that some item on the never-ending "to-do" list is essential to the continuance of my life. Or at least that not doing it will result in some unpleasantness.
This morning I found my mind leaping from one thing to the next, too quickly to evaluate or resolve anything. The image of objects caught up in a whirlwind came to my mind. As they spun around, they would move in and out of view. Almost as soon as I recognized one, it would be gone and another would emerge from the swirling dust.
At the same time, though, I was aware that I was not caught up in the whirlwind - I was just watching it from a bit of a distance. I felt that the whirlwind would like to catch me up and pull me in to the swirl of things to worry about, but I knew that I didn't have to go there. I felt in control of my relationship to all that stuff. I recognized some of the things as important, and in a way was glad that the image had come up to remind me of them, but I wasn't overwhelmed by them.
Meditation practice teaches you to observe without the need to engage, without the habitual emotional attachments that pull you into the whirlwind before you know what is happening. It helps you maintain a safe distance, so you can consider the thing, and let it be in your mind, then decide how to engage with it, or perhaps to just let it go.
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