How to be a Better Duck

Just Ducky

John, one of those rare birds I really connected with when working for the Evil Empire told me once that I reminded him of a duck.

What do you mean, asked I.

He told me.  When you see a duck in a pond, what do you usually see?  Of course, when you think about it, you see this little amphibious bird thingy (can you tell what a naturalist I am) gliding across the water.

Exactly, John told me.  That’s exactly what we SEE.  Then he asked what I thought was going on below the surface.  The answer, of course, is that the duck is paddling like hell.

He was right.  All of my life people have told me that I am one of the calmest people they know.  John meant this as a compliment. Quiet on the outside and, while probably not a bubbling cauldron, a lot going on inside.

I don’t know if you are like that. For me, sometimes that stuff going on inside is a powerful allie, and others it is complete turmoil.

One benefit of mindfulness is that it can help make a wild brain a little more orderly.  When my active brain starts becoming my chaotic brain, when the brain storm (and not the creative type) starts, it helps me to take a mindful moment.  I will take a breath, notice what is going on, and back off for a moment.  It helps to begin noticing my thoughts as objects, taking them one at a time, and sometimes even labeling them, as I might in mindfulness meditation.

Here is a quick model I use -

S = Step back, slow down and change my position.  If you’re  sitting, stand; if you are standing, sit if that’s possible.  Ask -

Am I getting ahead of myself?

What am I noticing about my body? Tension? Tightness?

T = Take a breath, maybe even take a break. Breathe into your diaphragm and perhaps close your eyes for a minute. Ask -

Can I use this chaos productively? How?

What direction am I heading here?

O = Observe what is going on.  Observe the chaos for a few minutes.  In stopping, try putting your thoughts individually on leaves flowing down a mindful stream.  Notice the difficulty. Then notice as your body naturally relaxes and your busy mind follows. Ask -

When I put them on leaves, can I observe these thoughts as they pass?

Does the stream stop as I get caught by certain thoughts?

If I stay with this thought and follow it down the stream, where does it take me?

P = Put first things first.  What is the direction you want to take your life?  As you STOP, and the busy mind slows down, ask -

What do I want?

What direction do I want to be heading?

What is the next step?

Over the years, the whole duck thing became both a code and a greeting between John and I.  One of us would ask how things were going, and the other would answer,

“Just ducky”

This mindful model of observing where my thinking is taking me, in times of busy mindedness, has helped me be a better duck.  Hope it’s helpful to you as well.