Best-selling author, Byron Katie, calls the unawakened mind a prison.
The Buddha said that all suffering is caused by attachment.
I believe that what we are most attached to is our own obsessive thinking mind.
The true nature of an awakened mind is peace, creativity, and compassion.
What stops us from experiencing this calm nature within ourselves?
How can you experience your mind as a place of peace?
Imagine your mind as a calm, placid lake.
Every thought is like a pebble sending ripples across the water.
Is your mind’s surface clear enough for reflection or does it sometimes feel like a hurricane is moving through?
I’ve found that there are 3 common pitfalls that lead to a restless mind.
Don't Let Other People determine how you think, feel, and act.
The first pitfall to avoid is letting other people determine how you think, feel, and act.
Two men named Bob and Pete were walking down the street toward the subway station in Brooklyn, New York.
Bob stopped at a newsstand, gave fifty cents to the man behind the booth, and asked for a copy of The New York Times.
The clerk pushed a paper over to Bob, never even glancing up.
Bob took the paper, thanked him warmly, and told him to, “Have a great day!”
The next day Bob and Pete approached the same newsstand as they headed toward the subway station.
Bob gave 50 cents to the man behind the counter and requested a copy of The New York Times.
Again, the clerk shoved a paper at Bob without looking up.
Bob smiled at the man and wished him a good day.
The following day the same scenario occurred.
Finally, Pete couldn’t stand it any longer, “Bob,” he exclaimed, “Why on earth do you continue to be so friendly to that rude clerk who doesn’t give you the time of day?”
Bob looked at Pete and replied, “Why should I let the newspaper clerk determine my mood and actions?”
How often do you and I let someone else or outside circumstances determine how we think, feel, and act?
To avoid the trap of being controlled by others either consciously or subconsciously, decide how you want to feel and act today, and don’t let anyone or anything get in your way. Decide to hold and radiate the qualities of strength, compassion, and peace and make a commitment to yourself to embody and return to these qualities regardless of outer circumstances and other people’s attitudes.
don't pass judgment on Yourself and others.
The second mental trap is thinking that we know best how other people should behave and passing judgment on ourselves and others.
I love the story told by author Stephen Covey of a time when he was a passenger on a train and he was very disturbed by some children who were acting very unruly and wild.
Stephen was noticing that the father was just sitting there completely oblivious to his own children running around the train and acting very rudely.
He thought to himself that this father was completely irresponsible and that he would never let his own children act this way.
Finally, Stephen Covey couldn’t stand it any longer and he confronted the father, “Are you even aware of your children?”
he asked sharply.
The father, who had his head in his hands, looked up weakly, “I’m so sorry,”
he replied, “We are just coming home from the funeral where we buried their Mother today.”
Our minds have the desire to judge—to think that we know how things should be and how people should act.
Unfortunately, when we are passing judgment, we cause our own body to constrict and tense up.
Judging doesn’t feel good and seldom is it productive.
To avoid the second pitfall of thinking that we know best, the next time you have the strong desire to decide how another person should behave, stop, take a deep breath, pause, and ask questions to yourself or the other person.
An appropriate question may be, “How do I know that this shouldn’t be happening exactly as it is?”
“If I am feeling upset right now, what does what I am experiencing at this moment mean to me?
What meaning am I giving it?”
You might remind yourself that A Course In Miracles tells us that nothing means what we think it does.
We get upset because we make meaning out of things and take things personally when there may be an entirely different perspective available to us that we are not in the moment aware of.
Even the worst situations often ultimately bring us the greatest peace and happiness if we are patient and willing to move forward in a positive direction.
negative thinking feeds on itself.
The third pitfall to a peaceful mind is the tendency for our mind to be negative.
It seems that a negative mind is the default position for the human race and unless we proactively choose positive thoughts, we inadvertently revert to the negative.
If this is true, then we must be vigilant about what thoughts we allow ourselves to entertain.
You and I really can’t afford the luxury of a negative thought because unfortunately, negative thinking feeds on itself.
The Law of Attraction teaches us that when we think negative thoughts more of the same are attracted to us and that’s why our negative thinking can escalate so quickly.
The good news is that when we focus on positive thinking, these thoughts also can begin to multiply.
So how can you turn negative thoughts around when they’ve already got a strong hold on you and they seem so compelling?
The answer is that once we are in the grips of a negative emotional state, it is very difficult to pull ourselves out in that moment.
Just like it’s easier to prevent physical illness than it is to overcome it once it’s in the body...
The key to avoiding negative states is to prevent them from overtaking us in the first place. We do that with awareness, acceptance, prayer, imagery, self-hypnosis and affirmation...Each day focus on what you are grateful for. Practice self-hypnosis and positive imagery.
Contemplate the fact that today may be your very last day on this earth.
The Sufis say, “Live in this earthly world as if each day were your last, while at the same time living as if, in a spiritual sense, you are going to last forever.”
The key teaching here is that we need to be certain that our thoughts and actions are ones that we can live with if our soul was to last forever, and at the same time make sure that when we take action we realize that we may never have a chance to undo what we are choosing.
The mind can be our greatest asset, moving us forward toward our life’s purpose and greater destiny. Or it can be a source of crazy-making for ourselves and others.
The unawakened mind is like a prison.
It lets the outer world determine who we are instead of allowing that decision to come from deep within our own hearts.
It convinces us that we have to judge others and ourselves in order to gain power, and it likes to dwell on the negative.
Think of your mind as a calm, still lake.
Keep it tranquil with long, slow deep breaths and beautiful thoughts.
Remind yourself, “Nothing means what I think it does,” and when someone throws a stone into your lake and you feel the turbulent waves rise up, remember to plunge into the depths of your being, where there is only peace . . . only calm . . . The peace and calm beyond the mind can guide you to your destiny.
Rise up to the surface and lived the incredible life you were born to live!
