The mind can be wild sometimes. You tell it not to think about a baked potato, and what does it do? Thinks about a baked potato all day long. Even if we can suppress our thoughts for a while, they come rebounding back stronger than ever. We've all gotten well-meaning advice about thinking, such as "Don't worry!" or "Just don't think negative thoughts." On the surface, this seems helpful. There's just one problem: such advice doesn't work.
Minds don't like to be controlled.
Not only that, minds can be wacky! If we told you we were going to attach a bullhorn to your head and broadcast all your thoughts and mental images, how would you feel? Embarrassed? Mortified?
Us too. We may worry that we're the only ones having these kinds of thoughts, or even that we're going crazy, but we all have weird, wacky thoughts sometimes.
And thoughts are only a problem when we buy into them or try to control them.
Daily Writing Prompt:
Mind Control
Write about a time in the past when you tried to control your mind or think positive thoughts. How successful were your efforts in the long run?
How about now? Are there topics you try not to think about? How well is that working?
Try It Now: Just Don't Think
We have a challenge for you. Try not thinking about your big toes while you read the rest of this passage. Force your-self not to notice them. You can think of anything else you want, just not that tingly feeling in your big toes. Could you do it?
Now, for a minute, let your mind roam free. Loosen up on efforts to control your thoughts. What do you notice?
Today's Practice
Today, be on the lookout for two things: first, wacky thoughts that pop into your mind (the ones you wouldn't want to broadcast through a bullhorn), and second, times that you try to control your thoughts by clearing out your mind or by changing your thoughts. Reflect on your attempts to control your mind.
Comentarios