A couple weeks ago, I read in my newspaper that the president of the United States, Barack Obama, had advised the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to find some thinking time during each day. David Cameron has taken Barack Obama’s advice. It is very easy to forget that in a demanding, busy job thinking time is very valuable because, after all, the person leading the country is paid to think; to decide on the best solutions to national problems.
With a cat on your lap, an ideal opportunity arises to think for 10 or 20 minutes. Of course, thinking needs to be constructive. There is no good in chewing over mistakes and regrets, unless it motivates one to do better.
A cat on your lap is also a cue to do a bit of contemplation and it is said that we should make time to contemplate, which is all the more important in our busy and active lives. Contemplation can take many forms such as simply sharing some quiet moments with your cat.
I’m not sure that we should plan our day to include some time for contemplation and thinking but it may be useful if you like a structured day. Some people might say that say they haven’t the time to mess around with thinking. However, wiser people will say you can’t afford not to make time. If the day is busy then it is suggested that you can make time by considering the following:
Cutting back on TV time. A recent report says that an increase in diabetes is linked to an increase in watching television. This is because watching television is a very static activity which can pile on the pounds. Americans spend about seven hours a day watching television. This is a long time and therefore it shouldn’t be difficult to trim back the time to more reasonable levels. Sitting down for long periods also carries health risks.
You can also make time by getting up a little earlier. This shouldn’t be difficult if you look after a cat because their day starts at about 4 am. Personally, I am awake at the same time as my cat, Gabriel, and, no, he doesn’t wake me up.
Cut back on time spent online socialising and writing emails et cetera. This activity absorbs more and more of our time and some of it is not very productive. It can be trimmed back as well.
Planning household errands and household duties so that they knit together well can save lots of time. I guess this is about time management; doing chores efficiently and fast!
Learning to accept a bit of dust in the home because dusting and house work is a 24/7 occupation and you can save lots of time by accepting a slight lowering of standards. We shouldn’t spend more than the minimum amount of time doing house work because is not that productive is it? We don’t achieve much in doing it other than making the home little bit smarter.
By making time for thinking and contemplation not only will life be less rushed and therefore more enjoyable, you may well be able to resolve some problems and therefore be happier. A lot of problems take time to resolve and people should have patience and return to thinking about the problem. The best answers to tricky questions sometimes evolve rather gradually. Take a leaf out of your cat’s book and spend a few moments thinking and contemplating with your cat.
My thanks to Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living, Feline Style by Ingrid King for the idea.
I like your comment. I think you are probably describing a form of contemplation rather than thinking in a strict sense. And I totally agree that there is a lot of pleasure, calmness and joy really in sitting or lying next to your cat when they are grooming or snoozing.
This is interesting, since I believe that rather than think more, people need to “feel” more. We seem to be ruled by our brains, more than our hearts.
When I sit with Mitzy in my lap, or she lies next to me in bed, all thinking ceases, and I just feel the contentment of being next to this little warm body, which may also be purring. I feel the sweet taste of trust she places in me. I feel the softness of her fur. I watch the rhythm of her breathing, and feel joyful that she’s alive with me at this time. I feel thankful that she has come through a tough time with health issues. I feel the joy of being her guardian.
There’s plenty of time for thinking, but when I’m with her, that’s my time for feeling and being in the present moment. Thinking usually takes us away from the present by dwelling in the past, or planning the future.
The cat’s gift is the “present”.