Everyday Life · · 4 min read
The Mind Thinks by Itself
I was recently talking while driving about the small insults and limiting beliefs we feed ourselves.
The quiet ones.
"I'm not good enough."
"I always mess things up."
"I'll probably never change."
"That's just who I am."
Sometimes they are so familiar that we barely recognise them as thoughts anymore.
They start to feel like facts.
But when they are noticed, even briefly, something begins to change.
The thought may still be there.
The feeling may still be felt.
But it is no longer operating completely unseen.
And when we stop repeatedly feeding the thought, it can begin to lose some of its power.
As I continued thinking about this, another comparison came to mind.
The mind produces thoughts automatically.
We don't need to sit down each morning and tell it to begin.
It just thinks.
In the same way that the lungs breathe, the stomach digests and the eyes see, the mind creates thoughts.
Some are useful.
Some are random.
Some are repetitive.
Some are fearful.
Some seem to come from old experiences, habits or beliefs we have carried for years.
The fact that a thought appeared does not necessarily mean we chose it.
It also does not mean it is true.
What I find interesting is that thinking is a little like breathing.
Breathing happens automatically.
Most of the day, we do not need to control it.
But we can also breathe consciously.
We can slow it down.
Take a deeper breath.
Hold it briefly.
Direct our attention towards it.
Thinking seems to have a similar quality.
Thoughts can happen automatically, but we can also think intentionally.
We can notice the thoughts that are being produced without our permission.
And when we recognise one that we do not want to keep strengthening, we do not have to continue adding to it.
We do not need to argue with it.
We do not need to force it away.
We can notice it and stop feeding it.
That does not leave us with an empty mind forever.
But it can create a little space.
Almost like a blank canvas.
A space where the old thought is no longer choosing the next step for us.
From there, we can direct the mind towards what actually matters.
What do I want to do now?
What kind of person do I want to be in this moment?
What action would move me closer to the life I want to build?
What deserves my attention more than this old insult or limiting belief?
This is not about replacing every negative thought with a positive one.
It is not about trying to control everything the mind produces.
The automatic mind will continue doing what it does.
Thoughts will still appear.
Old beliefs will still visit.
I will still get caught in some of them.
The difference is that noticing gives me the opportunity to use the mind as a tool, rather than always being carried along by whatever it produces.
Automatic thought can still happen.
But intentional thinking is also available.
Notice what the mind has placed on the canvas.
Stop repeatedly tracing over the lines you no longer want.
Then begin directing your attention towards what matters most.