From the day we are born we take in information. We develop, we mature, and hopefully, find out over time what works and what doesn’t work for us. The Trance is a state of mind we fall into when we are doing something that we consider mundane. It could be licking five hundred stamps on letters, hammering nail after nail, or spacing out during a boring book. Sadly, The Trance eats up valuable time.

Recently I had a conversation with a friend who told me a story about The Trance. Joe used to leave his house at the same time each morning, stop in at the coffee shop and head off to work and do the same process in reverse at the end of the day. Joe said, “Jennifer, it’s really strange. When I open the door and head off to work the time in-between is a blur. Each day that blur becomes wider. Strangely, one day the train went out of service. I snapped to, and boarded another train and resumed the blur. This is all fine and dandy Jennifer, but I’ve done this for 18 years.” The Trance can get a hold of us…..not only take away time, but devalue our moments.

Perhaps Life gets so overwhelming sometimes, that there is only so much that we can take, so we “zone out.” But that zoning out can be costly. Oddly, during periods of crisis or turmoil, The Trance disappears, and all of a sudden we feel more alive. Why is that? Do we take Life so much for granted that only when it is threatened, do we feel more alive?

I look at The Trance as a virus. Something that anybody can catch. Is there a cure? Sure…..it’s called Awareness. Whenever one sees or feels the Trance coming on, think about what you want to accomplish that day. Flood your mind with as much positive thought as possible. For me, one of the best ways I keep away The Trance is to change my schedule and try to get away once in a while. When we are busy, it’s one thing……but The Trance is something entirely different. To find out if you have had The Trance, or currently have it, ask yourself this: How quick has the past ten years gone by? and, do many moments stand out? For some yes, for some no. Think forward of the next five years, and try to accumulate memories that will last a lifetime. The Trance can never invade the shield of awareness.

Keep awake,
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2001 Jennifer Avalon