Thoughts

A familiar challenge for lots of people, especially when aiming to accomplish mindfulness or meditation, is that they cannot clear their minds. Realise that your very efforts to clear or quieten the mind can often be the cause. Your mind becomes filled with the distractions of the very same ideas you are making an effort to eliminate. Focussing your mind on one thing, will help you to find that first beachhead of quietness. As you practice more, you will find that you can expand the quietness outwards to create a quiet space even within a noisy mind.

Few of us truly understand how the mind controls almost all aspects of our life. While many of us would recognise that it controls our thoughts, stop to think that it also controls your reactions and influences your emotions.

Rather than respond by sliding into pre-programmed patterns of thinking, excuses or emotional reactions, reclaim control. Regain control of your mind as you stop to choose how to think and respond or bring about a change.

Sometimes, the more you try to calm or focus your thoughts, the more chaotic or disorganised they become. Finding the gaps amongst your thoughts can be an excellent means to help you relax and focus your mind. Even in a loud or disorderly mind, there can be gaps between your thoughts. So rather than trying to directly calm thoughts, find the gaps in between your thoughts. Then focus on these gaps, witnessing them grow larger. As the gaps grow larger, they will push your thoughts to the side of your mind, allowing you to achieve a calmer state of mind.

Many of us can become absorbed in our feelings and have restricted self-awareness as a result. You may have wondered how can meditation or similar practices assist in dealing with strong damaging emotions? The key is that many of these techniques provide a way to pause or moderate your thoughts and reactions. Then with your thoughts or reactions paused, you may choose to not be swept up in the whirlwind of damaging emotions and feelings.

Many of us recognise the concepts of positive thinking. You may have even applied some affirmations or similar methods to achieve things in your life. But, have you truly considered the real power and energy of thought, and how positive thinking can dramatically shape changes in your life.

From a biological perspective, the brain is considered to be the seat of thought. Your body nourishes the neurones of the brain, so that they have the energy to transmit messages throughout the body to perform any function or reaction in life. However, there is more to your thoughts than the biological activity occurring within your brain. Your thoughts, ideas and emotions arise through a metaphysical process which embodies them with their own energy, separate but intertwined with the biological functionality of the brain.

Most of us recognise the concepts of positive thinking, or have read how making use of affirmations or mantras can provide the opportunity to bring forward beneficial aspects within our lives. If you truly take the time to contemplate the power of your thoughts, then you would only think of kindness and positivity, never thinking a detrimental or negative thought again.

If you are being mindful of your thoughts, feelings and emotions, then you have the opportunity to no longer end up being lost in these aspects, and then have the chance to choose how to respond or act. Try to take the seat as the active observer, by viewing your thoughts and emotions from the outside looking in. This will help to improve your awareness, allowing you the opportunity to pause your thinking, then choose to change your way of thinking or respond differently.