I GREW up in Boherbee Tralee (AKA The Yellow Road). My mother ran a local grocery store for more than 30 years.

Coming from this background it gave me an early and great insight into (a) dealing with the public and (b) the importance of structure and organisation in running a small business or any business for that matter.

The fresh bread was placed strategically in an easy accessible position, the fresh fruit and veg were kept away from direct sunlight, dairy products and meats were stored neatly in a refrigerated area, more long shelf-life products like tins of fruit and soup were kept in the centre aisles while items like cigarettes and sweets were often close by the cash register.

This gave good structure to the running of the shop thus reducing unnecessary stress in trying to locate whatever purchases were required.

Once the question ‘What can I get for you?’ was answered, the shopkeeper (my mother!) could move swiftly about her business thus resulting in a well-served and happy customer which in turn should be good for everyone.

Now humour me and close your eyes and using your imagination picture this well stocked shop with no one in charge for a period of two hours. Now further imagine a monkey being let loose in that said same shop.

When my mother appears on the scene she is greeted by an Armageddon-like scene. There is utter devastation, chaos and pandemonium.

The fresh ham is scattered around the cigarettes, the bread is with the sweets, the eggs are broken over the jams and there is ice-cream all over the lovely fresh fruit – You get the picture! I’m pretty sure it is one you would not wish to store in your mind for a long time.

Well I have news for you. The unaware mind is very much like that, with thoughts scattered all over the place.

Worried about things from the past or anxious about the future or indeed the reverse, anxious about the past and worried about the future for any type of chaos will do.

There is absolutely no structure and thoughts simply come and go and fly all over the place just like confetti at a wedding (or snuff at a funeral!).

This is why it is called the ‘monkey mind’ as it is as good an analogy of chaos as you are going to get.

Just like the ham, jam, eggs and ice-cream, our thoughts are all over the shop, but yet there is still one major difference – ‘Now Roger what is that?’

If you entered the shop you would immediately see the chaos and more than likely make a quick exit.

However, with the mind, remember I said that most people are (a) unaware of the chaos of their daily thoughts or (b) unaware that it is very possible to put structure on these thoughts.

If one is unaware of something then there is very little motivation to do something about it.

If you think about it – why would you even consider doing something about that which you are unaware of? No possibility of success here!

Like I have often said before – First awareness then action.

• That leads me nicely onto next week’s article – Training The Monkey Mind