The only way a thought, or series of thoughts, can harm you is if you give them significance. If you don't, they have no power to hurt you. And as long as you remember that your thoughts have no power to hurt you without your consent, you will retain power over your life. Rather than feeling victimized or defeated by the thoughts that stream through your mind, you'll be able to keep them in perspective. As thoughts enter your consciousness, you'll decide whether to pay attention to them, take them seriously and respond accordingly, or simply dismiss them and go on with your day.
The destructive effects of thought happen only when we forget that our thinking is simply a function of our consciousness--an ability that we human beings have--that doesn't need to be blown out of proportion. When we keep this bit of wisdom in mind, we realize that it's our thinking, not our circumstances, that determines how we feel. This gives us the confidence to live in the moment by removing the fear that we must pay such careful attention to our own thinking, or else. Others may have experienced a nearly identical set of circumstance as you, and they may feel depressed and resentful about their plight, while you feel quite content. Obviously, the difference in how you feel won't have anything to do with who was better off, but will be determined by who more clearly understands the nature of thinking and who takes it more in stride.
Understanding our thinking in this way allows us to live more of our life in the present moment by allowing us to become far less preoccupied with our thinking. When our mind spins forward toward worries and concerns--or backwards towards regrets and past hurts--we can actively observe our mind and make gentle mental adjustments, suggesting to ourselves that we bring our attention back to the present. We can say to ourselves, "Whoops, there I go again," or something else that keeps our thinking in perspective, reminding us that we just need to slowly bring our attention back to this moment to bring back a feeling of contentment.
No comments:
Post a Comment