Meet your Monkey

We have all met the Monkey before.

That voice or urge that can come as words, feelings, sights, or sounds.

The thought that gives us good reasons to dither, to procrastinate, to become anxious about a future event or that can remind us of our past mistakes –

It can be a constant distraction.

It can happen at the most inopportune times or when we try to stop and relax and have some quiet ‘me time’.

Those of you who have tried meditation or mindfulness practices before know how this can happen and perhaps, the best way to activate your Monkey,  is to attempt to sit silently, focussed on having an empty mind.

If you really want to be sure what this is all about complete this simple exercise:

Set a timer for 6 or 10 minutes.

Sit quietly, close your eyes, and focus on thinking about nothing. Just breathe, intending to have an empty quiet mind. Imagine the mental stillness you want with no intruding thoughts.

This is your intention as you attempt to think of nothing.

Your plan is to enjoy a simple silence internally with no distractions or  interruptions from your own thoughts.

Just sit with your eyes closed and notice what happens.

It’s not easy. Most of us struggle to sit for even a few moments before thoughts intrude.

Any intruding or distracting thoughts that are not your choice, not directed consciously by you are the work of your Monkey.

If you can’t sit quietly for 10 or even 6  minutes, you are not alone.

Even monks who meditate full time using the traditional methods use bells and gongs to remind them to focus on an empty mind just in case they get lost in the Monkey thought stream.

So what?

If your intention is to sit with a quiet clear mind for 10 minutes and this then doesn’t happen w might reasonably consider this was the work of not us, something else. This is what the  meditators describe as the chattering Monkey.

Once we see the Monkey as separate we can consider new responses and new options and strategies.

We could consider what the purpose of this Monkey is?

Is it really there just to be a nuisance or is it part of our inheritance crafted by God or the Universe to aid our survival?

Could it be that the problem is that we don’t know how to use this resource effectively ?

Perhaps with a little imagination we could begin to wonder about the value this Monkey could offer if we were to do things differently and engineer a better relationship?.

Next Steps

For us, a reengineering of the relationship you have now with your Monkey means we look to build a partnership, to achieve alignment

An alignment or relationship which will deliver effective support to you in any area of endeavour you wish to purse.

You and your Monkey understand what it is you are doing. You as leader lead the way and the Monkey helps you deliver your dreams and goals.

Pie in the sky ?

What if it’s possible ?

You can read the  book here 

If you’ve done that and are ready f the next step check out the challenge

For an closer look at your relationship take the Monkey Relationship Survey

The final score from the 42 statements gives you a quick assessment (less than 4 minutes!) of the nature of the relationship you and your Monkey currently enjoy.

It usually gives cause for contemplation and may encourage you to invest a little time in making a change .