You are in paradise. You are peacefully daydreaming away.

Suddenly, someone walks by — the person looks like Buddha.

“Mary,” the person says, “I see that you are daydreaming. You are leaving the here and now. You must stay in the present moment. Here are some breathing exercises. Every time you get distracted, you must return to the here and now.”

How could this happen, you think. Just a moment ago, I didn’t have a single problem. And now I do have a problem. Now daydreaming has suddenly become something bad.

And this, this is how consciousness works.

You suddenly become aware of something. Often something you would rather not deal with.

So instead, you simply choose not to listen.

“I think that’s your problem,” you say to the devil in disguise.