What is a sanity-free zone?

It’s an area of our mind and life that is controlled by unexamined beliefs, attitudes, and expectations that cause us unnecessary pain and hardship. But how can we avoid veering off into a sanity-free zone?

We must rely on logical and/ or scientific analysis to determine if a belief is sane and worth following. Following a clear mode of thinking, we increase our chances of avoiding sanity-free zones of suffering on our path to peace, joy, and general sanity.

When we don’t follow clear logical analysis, we can easily fall into old habits of thinking that lead us into potholes of pain. We may accept capricious and ridiculous ideas that can cause great harm to ourselves and to others. Throughout the ages, the story of human suffering is primarily one of human beings harming each other in service to hasty conclusions and impulsive beliefs that were created in sanity-free zones.

The most common detour into a sanity-free zone happens when we refuse to love and respect ourselves. When I feel my own unexamined beliefs luring me into a sanity-free zone of self-hatred, jealousy, greed, or fear, I remember the best alternative: I embrace myself with love, respect, and encouragement. I might smile at myself in the mirror, which brings a sense of lightness to the moment. Or simply say to myself, “I, as much as anyone else, deserve love, respect, and kindness.”

I suggest this practice to all my students and clients as well. It is simple, yes, but can be profoundly elusive. Why? Because so many of us are habituated  to withholding kindness from ourselves. We may even consider that very withholding to be a virtuous act. I have had many clients tell me, “I love all my friends, I just don’t love myself” or, in a self-sacrificing tone, “I am kind and supportive to my employees – I am just hard on myself.” 

You can see how easily we can make the shift from sanity to insanity in a single thought or statement. 

Beginning Wednesday July 31, this  4-session webinar will help you learn how to detect a sanity-free zone in your consciousness, and how to shift back into a sane zone of joyful clarity! Participants often tell me how surprisingly enjoyable and fun this learning process is. Join us!

Full details and registration here:

How to Step Off the Wheel of Fear and Suffering