More About “What DO Thoughts Think About?”

busy-mind-desire-appreciation-thoughtsI want to share some additional perspectives about my previous blog, “What DO Thoughts Think About?”

“Thoughts think about other thoughts” is a subtle topic; it’s importance can easily be missed, and working with it can seem boring and pointless in the beginning.

In order to experience the power of this insight, the first step to is to practice noticing and watching thinking, emotions and sensations, as they are, without any motivation to improve, escape from, or stop them.

I recently had an old client share that years after I had shared this insight and practice with her, suddenly she started remembering that “her” thoughts and emotions were not “hers” — they were just thoughts and emotions. She shared how the insight just started coming up naturally and that it interrupted her involvement in fearful concerns, stress, and melodrama.

She was able to feel a refreshing sense of being present on the earth, on the spot in her body, with an awareness of freedom to move around unobstructed by the thoughts and emotions she was aware of. Instead of entrancing and absorbing her in a claustrophobic inner environment of hallucinations, they were just objects in awareness, surrounded by this refreshing free space.

You can have this experience too! Remember:

1)      “Thoughts can only think about other thoughts.” Relax, breathe, and observe.

2)      Therefore you can only think about THOUGHTS of self, about your IDEA of self. You can’t think about your actual self which is not a thought. Relax, breathe, and observe.

3)      This means the REAL You is off the hook! No blame, no shame — your story is not about you, it is about an IDEA of you. This doesn’t mean you can pretend you didn’t do or say things — activities can be judged and it’s best to be accountable for them. But these actions do not create or define your “personhood”. They just are what they are. Relax, breathe, and observe.

4)      Commentary, subconscious gossip, will come in. Just watch it, too. Here is a tip — discouragement, boredom, and irritation are all thoughts, too. Watch and notice them. Relax, breathe, and observe.

5)      Do this for just 5 minutes a day if that’s all you can manage. Practice develops the strength of your capacity to watch and notice uninterruptedly.This is the secret to experiencing the freedom that you already are. If you can’t manage 5 minutes, relax, breathe, and observe as often as you can remember to, even for just a few seconds. Set your smart phone to remind you every 30 minutes to stop then relax, breathe, and observe for 10-15 seconds. It will work for you!

6)      Give yourself the chance to realize that any dilemma-oriented thinking relating to an IDEA of self does not prohibit your right to relax into a kind, encouraging self-regard and self-respect.

7)      The more kindness and self-respect you have, the more fearlessly you are accountable for your actions. This kindness, respect, and fearless accountability makes it easy to welcome and respect others and to enjoy collaborating with them at work, at play, and in intimate relationship.

To summarize:

  • Have enough compassion and kindness towards yourself to practice mastering the deluding power of fearful thinking on a daily basis.
  • Value life, value yourself as life itself, not as the smallness you think you are.
  • Increase and express this valuing by developing your ability and strength to watch thinking without being ruled or defined by thinking.
  • Practice releasing every form of self attack and self put down as you now realize they are all false — just thoughts thinking about other thoughts.
  • Through this simple practice, deepen the felt sense of your already free and complete being as you release yourself from the power of deluded thinking. Feel life flowing through you as you.

As always, sharing and questions are welcome!

Good luck to you!

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