If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking “I just need to stop thinking like this” then you’re not alone.
It’s a habit most of us fall into: trying to manage or change our thoughts so we can feel better.
But here’s the insight that changed everything for me:
We don’t choose our thoughts.
They come and go, completely outside of our control.
Even the ones that seem like ours, like the internal narration of our day weren’t consciously selected.
They just appeared.
And when we realise that, it takes the pressure off.
We’re not the author of every thought, we’re simply the awareness that sees them come and go.
The Three Principles describe how our experience is created - moment to moment - via Thought, Consciousness, and Mind (you can read more about those here).
Thought brings form to our experience, consciousness lets us feel it, and mind is the intelligence behind life that powers it all.
Trying to control thought is like trying to hold back the tide. It’s exhausting - and completely unnecessary.
The only part we do have a say in is how we respond to the thoughts that appear. When we start seeing thought as neutral and fleeting, we stop panicking about them - and that’s where things begin to shift.
A quick example...
The other day I had a really difficult thought pop into my head about my 3-year-old. It wasn’t pleasant. But I knew it was just a passing thought, not a sign that I’m a bad mum.
That’s the difference understanding makes - I didn’t have to spiral. I didn’t need to do anything with that thought. I just let it pass.
And peace came not from trying to replace the thought, but from not believing it meant something about me in the first place and that I could respond to it how I chose.
Imagine I asked you to remember a 4 digit code, would you trust that you would remember it?
Probably not. You may write it down or keep repeating it so you don't forget?
Why is that?
It's because you know intuitively that thoughts are transient and come and go all by themselves and that we have to hold onto them in some way to keep remembering.
Today as you're reading this, perhaps you could get curious about what and how you hold on to certain thoughts or ideas?
With love
Sarie
If you’re ready to stop battling your thoughts and start understanding them differently, you’ll love my free 3-part mini course - click here to get it. It’s the perfect starting point for exploring the Three Principles.
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