Your Mind Is Like A Pimple
sometimes you just gotta wait to let it pop
Ok, I know, for some of you that may sound really gross. But after this title popped into my mind, I googled pimple squeezing obsession, and, uff, thank goodness, I’m not the only one out there. Chances are you may share this weird urge with me. Very probable if you clicked on this article!
Back to the topic though. What does pimple squeezing have to do with the mind, excuse me!?
Well, think about it this way. What is a pimple? It’s impurities that your system wants to expel. They start accumulating under the surface, the surface gets red and a bit itchy maybe. Definitely tempting to play with it. If you do share some of my obsession, you will be right at it, fiddling around, trying to get rid of the little sucker. In the process probably making it worse.
You squeeze once, didn’t work. Leave it alone for a few hours and then, you can’t help yourself, you try again…surely it’s already ready! In your mind visualizing all the gross stuff oozing out, your brain anticipating the dopamine-induced satisfaction and relief!
But no, you tried, it didn’t work. Now the fucker is infected and red and looks ten times worse than before. Maybe you bruised it so hard, it started bleeding (without the impurities coming out!) and it could even go so far as leaving a scar. Very, very disappointing indeed.
Do you see it already, the correlation?
It’s like us, going about our days. Everything is fine. And all of a sudden those bad days come. Just out of nowhere. Yesterday you were happy go larry and today you may feel a bit suicidal (joke).
Just a bad day you tell yourself. But somehow the uneasy feeling you can’t shake off. You try your practice. “ok, I’m gonna sit with it and meditate”. It helps for a couple of hours and then it comes back. THE feeling. Something is off.
Mhmm, slightly more alarmed you reach deeper into your toolbox. “Maybe my diet is off? or…Yes, I didn’t move enough today.” Again, same result: temporary relief but still not feeling your normal self.
Ok, now you are at it, trying to squeeze out the impurity. What is it? You start your analyzing and in the process your obsessing. I’m feeling depressed, because I’m ….(fill in the blank).
Ah, yes, that must be it!
Yet, the insight doesn’t give you the anticipated relief. Instead, your mind is now frantically looking for a solution. I want to pop the shit out of this limiting belief or blocked emotion!!
Ok, in the process of all this you might be getting all twisted inside, a bit contracted and stiff. After all, you are still not feeling yourself. Not fully.
Someone asks you how you are and you think to yourself I don’t even want to talk about this. There is nothing to say. It’s just a freakin’ pimple. I got it all under control. Just please stop staring at the scab that I’ve scratched away a thousand times!
And then…one day, in divine grace and timing, when the pimple is ready. Pop! And all of a sudden you might find yourself crying and shaking, realizing just how hard you have been on yourself by trying to get rid of this innocent pimple. And the impurities just start washing out. Just by themselves. No need for pushing or squeezing.
The perfect metaphor, don’t you think? The wisdom a simple pimple can teach us. Ahhhh, I just love life.
