#66 – (Part 3) Thoughts aren't the problem; our attachment to them is

When you realize it's just another thought [...], then you can have a spacious relationship with that thought. The thought no longer has you in its grip.

Eckhart Tolle

The goal of meditation isn’t to stop thinking but to become aware of your thoughts.

Thoughts are a natural creation of the human mind, and there's nothing inherently wrong with them. Thoughts are neither good nor bad; they simply are.

The problem arises when you don't realize you're thinking a thought. Then, you believe that whatever you're thinking is the truth.

Meditation trains you to observe your mind and become aware of your thoughts as they arise.

With time and practice, you learn to recognize that the thoughts you think aren't your mind, but a product of it.

Since they're not your mind, you can choose to let them go. And it's by letting go of thoughts that you give your mind the capacity to be as creative and effective as it can be.

Let's say you have a big presentation at work. You walk into the conference room and the exec team is already seated.

As you see their faces, their notepads on the table, someone checking their watch, a thought pops up: "I don’t know what I’m doing."

When you’re aware of your thoughts and know that a thought is just a thought—not the truth—you can swat it away like a fly and dive into your presentation and let your mind do its magic.

But if you don’t recognize the thought for what it is, you might believe it's the truth. Then you’ll start to behave accordingly—fumbling, stumbling, turning red, and struggling through the presentation, your mental bandwidth completely overwhelmed.

Which scenario sounds more fun?

Love,

Carolina