Don't Believe Everything You Think

1. Thinking is the root cause of all psychological suffering

"I think and think and think, I've thought myself out of happiness one million times, but never once into it." — Jonathan Safran Foer

The mind's primary function is survival, not happiness. Our sophisticated ability to think evolved to keep us alive, alerting us to potential dangers. However, this constant alertness can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety in modern life. The mind often creates hypothetical scenarios based on past experiences, causing us to worry about future threats that may never materialize.

Suffering is optional. While pain is unavoidable in life, how we react to events determines whether we suffer. The Buddha explained this concept using the analogy of two arrows: the first arrow represents the unavoidable pain of an event, while the second arrow represents our reaction to it. We can't always control the first arrow, but the second is optional.

Awareness is key. Recognizing that our thinking causes our suffering is the first step towards freedom. By understanding this, we can begin to detach from our thoughts and observe them without getting caught up in them. This awareness creates space for peace and happiness to naturally arise.

2. We live in a world of thought, not reality

"Thought is not reality; yet it is through thought that our realities are created." — Sydney Banks

Perceptions shape our reality. Each person experiences the world through their own unique lens, created by their thoughts and beliefs. This explains why two people can be in the same situation yet have completely different experiences.

Meaning determines experience. It's not the events themselves that cause our emotions, but the meaning we assign to them. For example:

• Money can represent freedom, opportunity, or greed, depending on one's perspective
• The same job can be a dream for one person and a nightmare for another
• A political figure can inspire hope or fear, based on individual interpretations

Recognizing thought-created reality allows us to understand that our experience of life comes from within. This insight empowers us to change our perceptions and, consequently, our lived experience.

3. Thoughts and thinking are different: thoughts are neutral, thinking causes suffering

"Stop thinking and end your problems." ― Lao Tzu

Thoughts are neutral. They are the raw mental materials from which we create our experience of the world. Thoughts come effortlessly and spontaneously, originating from a source beyond our conscious control.

Thinking is active engagement. It involves analyzing, judging, and ruminating on our thoughts. This process requires energy and often leads to negative emotions and suffering.

Key distinctions between thoughts and thinking:

• Thoughts: effortless, spontaneous, neutral
• Thinking: effortful, deliberate, often leads to suffering

Observing without engaging is the key to freedom from suffering. By allowing thoughts to come and go without getting caught up in thinking about them, we can maintain a state of peace and clarity.

4. Our natural state is peace, love, and joy

"We are ever only one thought away from peace, love, and joy — which come from a state of no thought." — Dicken Bettinger

Our default state is one of wellbeing. Like a clear sky that's always present behind the clouds, our innate peace, love, and joy are always there, often obscured by our thinking.

Negative emotions are not necessary. While some negative emotions can be helpful for survival (e.g., fear in genuinely dangerous situations), most are unnecessary in our daily lives. They arise from our thinking, not from external circumstances.

Returning to our natural state doesn't require effort or positive thinking. It simply involves letting go of our habitual thinking and allowing our innate wellbeing to surface. This state is characterized by:

• A sense of wholeness and connection
• Spontaneous positive emotions
• Clarity and intuitive wisdom

5. Non-thinking allows access to intuition and inner wisdom

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." — Albert Einstein

Intuition is our direct connection to Infinite Intelligence or Universal Mind. When we quiet our personal thinking, we create space for this deeper wisdom to emerge.

Peak performance comes from non-thinking. Athletes, artists, and innovators often describe their best work as coming from a state of "flow" or being "in the zone." This state is characterized by:

• Effortless action
• Loss of self-consciousness
• Heightened creativity and problem-solving abilities

Trusting intuition may feel scary because it often goes against logical thinking. However, following this inner guidance often leads to unexpected positive outcomes and a sense of alignment with a greater purpose.

6. Creating space for miracles through non-thinking

"Today I make space for miracles. I recognize that it's not how big a miracle is that's important but how much room I create for it." — Kyle Gray

Empty your cup. Like the Zen master's lesson to the scholar, we must first empty our minds of preconceptions and old thinking to make room for new insights and possibilities.

Rest is essential for growth. Just as athletes need recovery time to build strength, our minds need periods of non-thinking to integrate new ideas and solve problems creatively.

Steps to create space for miracles:

1. Recognize that thinking causes negative emotions
2. Surrender personal thinking and have faith in inner wisdom
3. Cultivate feelings of love, peace, and joy
4. Remain open to unexpected insights and opportunities

7. Goals from inspiration, not desperation, lead to fulfillment

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." — Steve Jobs

Inspired goals come from a place of abundance and alignment with our true selves. They feel light, energizing, and expansive. We pursue them because we want to, not because we feel we have to.

Desperate goals arise from a sense of lack or fear. They feel heavy, draining, and confining. We pursue them to escape our current situation or to gain something we believe we're missing.

Characteristics of inspired vs. desperate goals:

• Inspired: intrinsically motivating, end in themselves, feel expansive
• Desperate: extrinsically motivating, means to an end, feel restrictive

Accessing inspired goals involves quieting our personal thinking and allowing ideas to arise naturally from our intuition. This often leads to more innovative and fulfilling pursuits.

8. Unconditional love and creation come from a state of non-thinking

"The greatest power that mankind could ever achieve is the power of unconditional love. This is when people love with no limitations, conditions or boundaries." — Tony Green

Unconditional love has no reasons or conditions. It's an outpouring of love from within, not dependent on external circumstances or reciprocation. This love arises naturally when we're not caught up in personal thinking.

Unconditional creation is the purest form of creativity. It involves creating for the sake of creation itself, not for external rewards or recognition. This state leads to innovative, unique, and captivating work.

Benefits of unconditional love and creation:

• Freedom from expectations and disappointment
• Increased authenticity and self-expression
• Greater sense of fulfillment and purpose

9. Nothing is inherently good or bad; thinking makes it so

"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so." — William Shakespeare

Duality is created by thinking. Our judgments of good and bad, right and wrong, create separation and conflict. Without these mental labels, we can experience life more directly and peacefully.

Seeking truth, not rightness. Instead of trying to prove ourselves right or others wrong, we can look for the underlying truth in any situation. This approach leads to greater understanding and harmony.

Negative emotions signal misunderstanding. When we experience negative feelings, it's an indication that we're caught up in our thinking and have lost sight of the bigger picture. By recognizing this, we can return to a state of peace more quickly.

10. Overcoming obstacles in practicing non-thinking

"Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace." — Dalai Lama

Initial discomfort is normal. As we begin to practice non-thinking, the unfamiliar sense of peace and contentment may feel strange. Our minds might try to convince us that something is wrong because we're not constantly worrying or planning.

Faith in the unknown is crucial. Trusting that everything is working out, even when we can't see the whole picture, allows us to stay in a state of peace and openness to new possibilities.

Strategies for maintaining non-thinking:

• Recognize when you've fallen back into thinking without judgment
• Remember that peace is always available beneath the thinking
• Trust in your inner wisdom and the unfolding of life
• Practice patience and self-compassion as you develop this new way of being

Last updated: October 5, 2024