Think about it…..or wait, feel it.
Can you control a thought as it arises?? Is free will a real thing, or a philosophy??
What if told you, your thoughts are NOT real. How would that make you feel?? Would it be liberating? Would it be scary?
What is a thought anyways, right?? Can you point to a thought?? Does a thought do anything? Can you make things out of a thought? Well, not really. A thought might inspire the doer but ultimately a thought cannot create, change or really do anything. By that logic, you might see that your thoughts aren’t real and if they aren’t real, then they can’t possibly be who you are..
Think about it (but not too hard) if you aren’t your thoughts what are you?? Am I the body? Can I take the body with me when my time on earth is over? Of course not!
It has been said that nothing real can ever be destroyed and as we know through the methods of quantum mechanics, energy can neither be destroyed or diminished, It can only be transformed. That’s who you are! You are the energy that animates this body! You are the energy that provides the mind with its power.
In fact, you are much more than that! You are the awareness that precedes and remains after each thought and feeling as it passes through your consciousness. You are the seer and witness to your thoughts and feelings, which when looked upon from the right perspective is incredibly powerful.
I used to think that my thoughts were hard wired and I was destined to live a life with a bully living upstairs in my head rent free. I bought into every “you’re not good enough” trick my mind tried to play on me until it pushed me too far. Where the head goes, the body follows and for me, I started to experience server anxiety and panic attacks because I was so enamored by the constant stream of negative thoughts.
I spent years trying to hide my anxiety and fear of “not being good enough” and by conventional standards, I was doing great. I got a good job, got a Master’s Degree, got married, and started being an adult. Then, one day after trying to “fake it until I make it” my body had enough and before I knew it, I was amidst a full blown panic attack in front of my superiors and peers. I knew in that moment I was out of balance and I needed to take back control of my mind and my life.
To my pleasant surprise, the struggles I experienced early in my life and career were the catalyst for change. Soon after my panic attack I found mindfulness and meditation. The minute I found these two practices I was hooked. I knew right then and there, this was the answer I was looking for my whole life. The two practices of being present and taking time to sit and watch you mind have literally saved my life. And that’s not hyperbole.
What you realize when you listen to you mind is that it’s constantly moving. Like an old transistor radio that never stops playing. Much like a radio, you can tune into your mind or change the channel if you don’t like what you hear. Again, like a radio you know that the songs playing (or your thoughts) are not who you really are. Sure, you might like a song, but it does not define who you are at your essence.
This is what two and a half years of meditation has done for me. I’m still at the beginning of my journey and have a lifetime’s worth of work ahead, but I can find peace in knowing my thoughts are not who I am. I no longer believe I am my thoughts. I now know that I am the thoughts I CHOOSE to believe and much like my favorite radio station, I have the power to change what I listen to if I don’t like what I hear.
I’m here to tell you, you can change that radio dial as well. All you have to do is listen, see and then be what you want to be.
Thank you for reading this short blog. We would love to hear our ideas on the mind and your thoughts. Let us know how you see your mind. Do you like what you see? We look forward to connecting with you soon :)
Blessings,