Once upon a time,
There was a little girl named Candy.
She was raised by a mother who spent most of her days and nights trying to protect her children from things that might go wrong.
And after Candy had in fact faced a couple of unexpected accidents and run in with a kind of nasty person,
A part of her decided that her mother was right and became as worried as her mother.
That part of Candy decided that Candy had to look out for danger all the time.
That part did not want Candy to relax much because she never knew for sure when something suddenly might happen.
That part wanted Candy to be prepared and ready to jump all the time.
That part became so busy looking for something to go wrong,
So busy for something to be imperfect,
So busy looking for little problems that she didn't notice all the things that could go right.
She didn't notice all the things that were okay.
Candy started acting more and more like her mother,
Unnecessarily anxious about everything.
She spent so much energy worrying every day that at night she was exhausted.
One night Candy was walking through some woods when she suddenly started worrying about what danger in the dark bushes behind the tree was waiting for her along that path.
She imagined snakes,
Bears,
Eyes watching her,
Lions,
Tigers,
Bears,
Oh no.
She ran towards a clearing in the forest to get away.
At the edge of the clearing she saw a strange but kind looking old man.
He was walking barefoot back and forth in a straight line on a path worn into the grass.
She heard him laugh out loud and say,
I know,
I know.
Candy had paced back and forth in her room but it had never been so much fun.
Are you okay,
Mister?
She called out from the edge of the clearing.
I'm laughing,
Aren't I?
The old man said.
Are you okay?
Candy said.
I'm a little freaked out.
That path was so dark.
The man shined a flashlight out behind the trees here and there.
And he said,
See,
Only flowers and sleeping birds.
That's a relief,
Candy exhaled.
The old man said,
You're scaring yourself,
I guess.
Candy ignored him and said,
You were laughing but no one was talking to you.
Oh,
There was someone talking to me,
All right.
Myself.
Don't you think that's a little crazy?
He said,
If it's crazy,
Then everybody must be crazy.
Haven't you ever said,
Shoot,
Or no to yourself?
The little girl thought about it and she smiled.
Yes,
As a matter of fact,
I have.
The old man asked,
Well,
Have you ever had a conversation with yourself?
No,
But just a few minutes ago,
I was thinking about what I would say to someone if he told me I was gaining weight.
Does that count?
Well,
There you have it.
You must be crazy,
The old man laughed with a little twinkle in his eye.
Candy answered honestly,
No,
But it feels crazy sometimes.
The old man was very knowledgeable.
He explained.
That's because your thoughts were badgering you,
Telling you scary stories.
Just like that boogeyman or that boogey thing you thought was hiding behind those trees.
That mind is nagging and chatting and carrying on all the time.
Even when we are not noticing,
All these thoughts are whispering and shouting and crying and whining and begging and booing,
Nagging us somewhere in our heads.
Sometimes,
So fast we can't catch them.
Cindy laughed.
I think you are crazy,
Old man.
Avery is the name,
Thank you.
The man introduced himself.
Okay Avery,
I think you're crazy.
I'm Candy by the way.
Nice to meet you Candy.
Any relation to Andy?
Maybe.
Honestly,
Do you really think that blah blah blah is going on there so much?
Yes,
Really,
Explained Avery.
There's not only a stream of blah blah blah going on in there.
Avery pointed to Candy's head.
Not only a stream of blah blah blah going on in there.
And then Avery pointed to Candy's heart.
There's also a stream of that blah blah blah going there.
In fact,
There are all kinds of pictures coming in and out from all over the place.
It's like a soap opera.
Soap opera.
Candy didn't understand.
Avery explained.
You know,
Crisis,
Drama,
Crisis,
More drama,
Lots of drama,
Even more drama.
And Candy said,
Sorry Avery,
Not with me.
And Avery kidded her a little.
He said,
Are you so sure smarty pants?
Candy said,
Okay,
You show me.
I can't show you your soap opera.
But I can tell you how I discovered mine.
And you can discover yours on your own.
Okay,
Avery.
How did you do it?
Tell me.
I'm all ears.
Avery began telling her one of his stories.
He had a lot of them.
He said,
I had gone to Asia and was walking around temple gardens.
When I saw this old monk leading a line of boys down a path,
They were all walking very slowly,
Like I was doing when you saw me.
Candy asked,
Were they laughing too?
Avery continued,
No.
They looked so peaceful.
I watched them for a while and I became very curious about how walking this way could have that wonderful effect on them.
So I waited until evening when all the boys were gone.
And I approached the old man and asked him.
He said,
I would have to discover it by myself.
And I asked him how.
He smiled and said,
It's simple.
Just put one foot in front of the other and pay total attention to your movement like this.
And as Avery spoke,
He showed Candy,
Left foot kick,
Place,
Right foot kick,
Place.
Candy asked,
Do you mean like a football?
No,
No,
No.
Heaven's sake,
No.
Just move your leg a little forward,
Kind of like a kicking motion before you put or place it down.
You do it all the time.
Candy said,
Just like walking.
Correct,
Said the old man,
Just walk,
But pay close attention to each step.
Pay attention to when and where you are moving the left foot.
And then when and where you are moving the right foot.
You can think in your mind,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right as you do it.
Or you can think left,
Kick,
Place,
Right,
Kick,
Place as you do it.
Just pay total attention.
Don't let your thoughts distract you from paying attention to the movements of your feet.
Easy,
Said the little girl.
Avery laughed,
Easier said than done.
Do this twice a day,
40 minutes each time,
And your soap opera will begin.
Now if you're walking in a circle,
It's easy.
If you're walking in a line,
Then you also have to pay attention to the way you turn.
Turn at 45 degree angles only,
One foot at a time,
Like this.
Right foot 45 degrees,
Turn,
Then bring your left foot over.
Right foot 45 degrees,
Turn and bring your left foot over.
And just say,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
When you do it.
After you're facing the direction you want to walk,
Just continue as before.
Left,
Kick,
Place,
Right,
Kick,
Place.
Just pay total attention.
The old monks used to do that as they walked on rice paper.
Don't let your thoughts distract you.
And Candia asked,
Well what if they do?
Avery said,
I call that nagging.
And what do you say to your mother as she tells you to come back early or tells you not to get your shoes wet when you're leaving the door?
I say,
I know mom.
I know mom.
Yeah,
I know mom.
And I walk out the door.
Avery said,
Right.
When that nagging starts,
When those thoughts start talking to you,
Just say,
I know,
I know.
And focus on your steps again.
Keep walking.
Left,
Right.
Left,
Right.
Paying attention.
Remember 40 minutes each time,
Once or twice a day.
And come back and see me when you feel like talking.
Tell me about that soap opera.
One week later,
Candia returned.
Avery asked,
How'd it go,
Candy?
Little girl said,
Well,
At first it was easy.
But it got harder and harder to do.
I have to admit,
I only did it twice a day for two days.
Then once a day for a couple of days.
Then I skipped a day.
Then once a day again.
And I didn't do it last night because I knew I would do it with you today,
I thought.
Avery laughed.
In other words,
Really hard,
Frustrating,
Right.
And he said yes,
And boring too.
The old man asked,
And what happened when you got bored?
The little girl answered,
I started thinking about other things.
Something that happened to me,
Something that might happen to me.
I started arguing with people in my head,
Daydreaming about this and that.
Planning what I'm going to do on the weekend and tonight.
Avery said,
Uh-huh.
The soap opera,
The young girl exclaimed.
That's what you meant.
I really wanted to check my Facebook to get away from it.
I kept saying,
I know,
I know.
Just like you told me to,
I would say I know.
But those voices got louder and more incessant.
We wouldn't go away.
Avery said,
Crazy,
Right?
Candy answered,
Yes,
I admit,
Totally nuts.
Where does all that stuff come from?
She asked.
And Avery replied.
Well,
A very wise person once said,
The ancestor of every action is a thought.
In other words,
Every action begins with a thought.
So what,
Candy asked.
Avery explained,
When you're walking,
One step is one action.
So one thought,
Right?
Two steps,
Two thoughts.
And all that stuff,
That stuff,
All that drama are the thoughts between the two thoughts.
It's the hidden stuff.
It's the hidden stuff that can drive you crazy unless you just let it go.
And Candy asked,
Well,
How can you just let it go?
The old man said,
Just stop.
Say to the part of you that's talking,
I know,
Or thank you,
I'll take care of it later.
Then focus your attention and take your next step.
And as you walk,
Just return your focus to your feet.
Now,
Anxious thoughts,
If it's a special,
If it's an anxious thought,
Stop and say,
I know.
Then pretend as you are an actor,
You know what actors do to get into the parts.
And you are going to act as if you are very confident,
Knowledgeable,
Act like you're a wise person who knows that things always work out in the end.
Take your time.
Stand like that confident,
Knowledgeable person who knows that things are going to work out in the end.
Breathe like that person.
Even make your face look like it feels confident,
Knowledgeable,
And wise.
Become that person.
And when you're ready,
Take your next few steps as that person,
Stepping with confidence,
Knowledge,
And the wisdom to remember things always work out in the end.
Then continue focusing all of your attention on your steps again,
Left kick place,
Right kick place,
Left kick place,
Right kick place.
If you get tired of walking in that confident way,
You can just go back to saying,
I know,
And refocusing on your footsteps.
And Candy said,
Sometimes I just can't control them,
Makes me so mad.
Avery said,
I know controlling your thoughts can be frustrating,
But there's no need to get bent out of shape about it when you fail.
You could call yourself stupid if you wanted,
But what good would it do except to make yourself feel bad?
Candy agreed.
No good at all.
Just makes me feel stupid and afraid to try again.
So Avery said,
Forget all that drama.
Every day you have your path to walk.
The moment you notice you get off the path,
Simply get back on it and walk.
You could get angry about it.
You could call yourself an imbecile or blame someone or some poor mosquito for distracting you,
But it is useless.
The only thing that is important is that you get back on the path.
In fact,
You should be happy when you realize that you're off the path because that means you can now get back on the path.
Just smile and say,
I know,
I know.
Focus your attention on your steps and keep walking.
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Turn,
Turn,
Turn.
Again,
If it's an anxious thought,
Just stop and say,
I know.
Become that actor pretending you're confident,
Knowledgeable,
And wise,
Knowing that things always work out in the end.
After you've really got into that part,
Into that feeling,
Your lungs know it,
Your body knows it,
And your face shows it.
When you're ready,
Camera action.
Take your next step as that character and continue focusing all your attention there as you walk.
Don't dwell in the past.
Don't dream of the future.
Concentrate your mind on your present path.
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Turn,
Turn,
Turn.
In fact,
The present is all you have.
The past is gone and the future is not here yet.
You just have now.
Now left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Turn,
Turn,
Turn.
Okay I'll try,
Said the little girl.
Thanks again.
The little girl left and she tried it again every day for a week.
It all went pretty well,
But she still had a tendency to worry a lot.
It was a habit,
You know.
Habits are hard to break.
When she went back to find the old man,
She said,
Last week you said the hidden stuff can drive you crazy unless you just let it go.
Well it's refusing to go,
She said.
Avery laughed.
Well it's nice to know that some part of you is wanting to take care of you.
It's nice to have someone take care of you.
But like I said the last time,
When those worries start coming up,
Just stop and say,
I know.
Become the actor acting as if he has confidence,
Knowledge,
And the wisdom knowing that everything works out in the end.
And when you're ready,
Carrying those feelings with you,
Take your next steps.
And Candy said,
It's the acting part.
How useful do you think that is?
And Avery said,
Guess what the safest way to walk on ice is?
Before Candy could answer,
Avery said,
Like you were walking home from school,
Naturally.
And guess what the safest way to walk on a tightrope high in the air is?
And before Candy could answer,
Avery said,
Any tightrope walker will tell you like you're walking home from school.
If you aren't sure,
Just walk as if you are sure as you take your next steps and just keep walking and paying attention.
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Turn,
Turn,
Turn.
Oh,
Now I understand.
I wish there were a pill.
A pill.
You young ones always want a pill,
Said Avery.
Avery was very special.
He said,
I'll tell you what we will do.
Come back here in the woods.
I have a shed back here and in this shed,
I have stored all kinds of pills that I have collected from all over the world.
They walked into the shed and there was a bunch of bottles of pills and potions up on the wall,
On shelves.
Avery started looking and he said,
I know the best one for you.
Let's see if I can find it.
No,
No.
There.
Z-E-N-X.
Zen-X.
Great.
It's a great pill.
One pill lasts a long time.
Candy asked,
Will it make me sleepy?
No,
No,
No.
You won't feel anything but wonderful with Zen-X.
It's for your unconscious mind.
It's a mastery learning pill.
Look what it says here on the bottle.
Zen-X.
To initiate unconscious rehearsals and role plays.
Focus living life with confidence,
Knowledge,
And wisdom that everything works out in the end.
Look here at these capsules.
There are three colors in each capsule.
Your color for confidence,
Your color for remembering that you know how to take care of yourself,
And your color for wisely knowing that everything works out in the end.
Aren't they pretty?
Will Zen-X interfere with my sleep or my daily activities?
Candy asked.
No,
No,
No,
No.
You know the meaning of unconscious,
Right?
Your unconscious controls everything at the unconscious level beneath the surface of your awareness.
Like your breathing,
Your heartbeat,
Your sweat pores,
The muscles and the connective tissue.
And of course,
Your dreams.
Your body will absorb the ingredients of Zen-X.
And then your unconscious mind will have you doing all of this walking practice while you are sleeping deeply and peacefully and restfully.
It will have you doing all this walking practice while you are taking your shower,
Getting dressed or going somewhere.
You will walk hundreds and thousands of peaceful,
Calming,
Meditative steps saying,
I know,
And acting as if you're competent,
Knowledgeable and wise.
Actually hundreds and thousands of times in five minutes or less each time.
And your unconscious will keep doing this for you until all of the important lessons have been learned,
Practiced and mastered thoroughly and completely.
And you start living a more comfortable life filled with feelings of belonging and safety.
You can boost the Zen-X effect by just seeing or hearing the name Zen-X in your mind.
Or if you want,
By coming back here and practice walking and taking another Zen-X.
Sound good?
Great,
Candy said.
And Avery said,
Okay,
Close your eyes,
Take out your tongue and take one.
The old man dropped the Zen-X onto the little girl's tongue and handed her a warm glass of water.
She swallowed the Zen-X and felt it melt into her belly and all those qualities flowed into her veins.
Then Avery said,
When your unconscious knows what to do and when your unconscious knows how to do it in a way that's just right for you,
Faster than you could do it on your own.
And when your unconscious mind agrees to do it,
You can open your eyes only as fast as you become sure that everything is going to turn out okay in the end.
And only as fast as you know,
Like you know what you like to drink on cold nights,
That you are confident and have everything you need to get on with your life.
And with that trthemedge,
Nice and passive.
