If You Can’t Think Something Nice, Don’t Think Nothing At All

By Bob Deakin

A scene from Walt Disney's "Bambi"

We writers have a lot going on in our heads. As necessary as animated ideas and feelings are, silence is essential. Hence, I’ve adopted the creed: If you can’t think something nice, don’t think nothing at all.

Young Bob had If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all drilled into his brain, possibly from a Disney movie. Sage advice indeed when I chose to follow it. Age has given me focus, and I’ve turned that childhood warning in a new direction, striving for the mindfulness of a Zen master.

To completely quiet the mind borders on myth. Like a river (or a writer with political views), you can’t stop it; you can only hope to contain it. Conversely, diving deep into your thoughts is a path of less resistance. Get below the surface noise and ripples, and you discover the calm.

Only you know how to quiet your mind. I like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. Well, no, I don’t. I meditate and take frequent walks. Music has a similar effect. My mind may not be quiet, but it’s thinking only about the music, suppressing the chatter.

Take it from a born scatterbrain: Quiet clears the room for nice, evocative thoughts. Pull the weeds and plant the flowers. 

Or we can turn this car around and go home right now!

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