Thoughts on Thoughts.

I have come to the following conclusion about thoughts, having given it some thought for a while. There are fast thoughts and there are deep thoughts. Everyone is capable of both kinds of thoughts, but no one can think both kinds of thoughts at the same time.

Fast thoughts are rapid fire. They're details and shortcuts and contracts and post-its and the mental equivalent of the three dollar bag of cheetoes from the Dollar General down the sidewalk from my office. They can fill you up but they can't sustain you. It should be said that fast thoughts have their place. Without them you can't find your keys and not much gets done at all. The world turns on fast thoughts. It's just that the world is not propelled by them.

Deep thoughts actually power the rotation of the earth. Where fast thoughts follow the path of least resistance or the freeway with the fewest exits, deep thoughts meander along the riverbank, doubling back so many times you wonder "haven't I been here before?" and you have, except you were going the other way. Deep thoughts, properly cooked, marinate in their own juices. While fast thoughts change things that day, deep thoughts change principles that change fast thoughts forever.

I've been running hard lately...lots of fast thoughts. I don't feel bad about that, but am craving the steamy spiced chai of deep thoughts.

Don't let another week go by without dipping into the well of deep thoughts.