12. Holding Space For Inner Conversations

We know that our brains have two sides to them. The left side leans towards logic and analysis while the right is more tuned for artistic expressions. What if our minds, like our brains, had two parts? I am using “mind” as a tool with which we think. The conscious mind is the first and is what you use right now. It is thinking about the words and their meaning actively, but it is not thinking about when you should breathe, or how many times you must blink. While you can consciously control your breathing and eye blinks you forget about it after some time. Those actions kind of just happen you may think but there is another mind. It is the subconscious or unconscious mind. It is the part we do not easily notice. It works behind the scenes taking care of important functions. It is the reason why long showers and walks are such productive idea generators. What if we could hold space so both minds could talk to each other? We could think consciously about something like your language structures and then go take a walk allowing the subconscious to get to work. Josh Waitzkin uses a similar idea where he poses a question consciously, goes and does other things, and then sleeps. When he wakes up the next morning he heads straight to his journal to write. His subconscious worked during the night often providing great insights. What would your life look like if you could harness the full power of both minds?