While shoveling snow yesterday, The Grasshopper put in an appearance wearing a Santa hat and had this to say: “The brain remembers; the mind adds meaning.”

There’s something about more than two feet of snow that makes you remember other times when a heavy snow has fallen.

It’s amazing that you can be transported to another time when something very similar happened. Such was the case yesterday. I remembered various times of days gone by in vivid detail. There was both laughter and melancholy associated with each memory.

The brain can’t help but remember. That’s one of its functions. Adding meaning is where we get stuck in a big snow drift.

There is no meaning to a memory unless we add one. Memory is pure stimulus/response.

Heavy snow/memory

Adding a meaning has also become automated for us through conditioning. “I dreamt of money last night so that means I’m going to hit the lottery.” No, you dreamt about money.

Adding meaning to something always distorts that something away from its pure form and weaves it into an illusion that can create lots of drama.

I had many memories triggered by yesterday’s snow. I had lots of responses to those memories. The minute I began to add meaning to the responses, I was headed down a trail where I would be spinning my wheels. Lucky for me, I caught the meaning machine before it went awry and ran amok.

Sometimes we don’t catch it in time. That always leads us to the pseudo land of meaning filled with countless interpretations for one memory.

It snowed heavily yesterday. It triggered several memories about past snows – some heartwarming and others gut wrenching.

Adding meaning to these memories can cause an avalanche that keeps you trapped in a place that doesn’t exist – except in your mind.

Become aware of your meaning machine. It will turn on at the slightest tremor and attempt to lead you down the slippery slope of no return.

It’s up to you to take notice. No one else can do it for you and no one else can save you but you.

Have your memory and feel its attendant feeling and emotion.

Just avoid adding meaning. It’s meaningless.

All the best,

John

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