Don't Believe Everything You Think

by Joseph Nguyen

Philosopher Sydney Banks once said, “Thought is not reality, yet it is through thought that our realities are created.” What he means by this is that each of us lives through our own perception of the world, which is vastly different from that of the person next to us.

Philosopher Sydney Banks once said, “Thought is not reality, yet it is through thought that our realities are created.” What he means by this is that each of us lives through our own perception of the world, which is vastly different from that of the person next to us.

Which means that without our usual thinking about a particular event, our experience of it completely alters.

By changing

our

thinking, we can change o...

the moment we stop thinking is when our happiness begins.

When you change your thinking, you change your experience of life—without needing to change the event that happened.

“I see

that you become angrier with each interruption you encounter.

This is exactly the opposite of the point of meditating. You should find a way not to get angry with people, animals, or anything around y...

“It’s not other people, situations, or circumstances. It’s not the empty boat but my reaction to it that causes my anger. All the people or situations that upset me are like the empty

boat. Without my reaction, they don’t have the power to make me angry.”

but to let go of the illusion that we’re not already enough as we are

Thoughts are intrinsically neutral. But the moment we begin thinking about our thoughts, we get taken on an emotional roller coaster.

We may believe that thinking is useful, but it’s an illusion that causes us to experience negative, unwanted emotions.

Positive emotions are not a byproduct of thinking but the organic result of being fully in the present moment and connected to life rather than thinking about it.

We only don’t feel them when we begin thinking and separating ourselves from this source.

The strength of the negative emotion you feel is directly proportional to how much thinking you are doing in the moment.

the less thinking you have going on, the stronger the positive emotion you feel in the present.

Thinking takes us away from the present moment and into the past or future, which are the only times regret or anxiety exist.

What we resist persists. What we accept and let be will inevitably leave.

the natural state of the mind is also clear if we do not disturb it.

if you want to know who you are look beyond your thoughts to experience your true nature

“Thinking is the root cause of suffering.”

Most of our destructive habits and behaviors come from the avoidance and suppression of emotions.

Mushin is achieved when [the] mind is free of random thoughts, free of anger, free of fear, and particularly free of ego. It applies during combat and/or other facets of life. When mushin is achieved during combat, there is an absence of loose or rambling thoughts. It leaves the practitioner free to act and react without hesitation. He reacts according to all of the study and training that has brought [him] to this point. Relying on not what you think should be your next move but on what your trained, instinctive, subconscious reaction directs you to do.

We only hesitate, are reluctant, and have doubts when we begin thinking and overanalyzing.

you cannot think your way into flow just as much as you cannot think your way into love both are a natural occurrence when we let go and allow the full authentic expression of ourselves to come forth they are a byproduct of surrender and trust

When goals are created out of desperation, we feel an immense sense of scarcity and urgency.

Impostor syndrome and self-doubt begin to manifest, and we feel like we’re always short on time.

Unless you address the internal root worry that you’re not good enough, achieving this external goal will never change how you feel. Ironically, if we achieve a goal created

out of desperation, we end up feeling even emptier than before, so we set an even bigger goal and then an even bigger one, never reaching a state of fulfillment.

expansive. Our goals feel like a calling rather than an obligation.

we create from a place of abundance instead of lack.

falling in love with what you are doing in the present will allow you to achieve many of those external goals you previously had as a byproduct. Love

will take you further than sheer effort ever will.

If we categorize paths as right or wrong, we close ourselves off from the ocean of opportunities available to us.

If you judge an option too soon, you may be missing out on the most beautiful view yet. Even an option that seems lesser may hold unexpected benefits if you explore it further.

What you obtain externally can always be lost, but what you find within yourself can never be taken away.

The more we try to think, analyze, and ask for outside opinions, the more it causes unnecessary anxiety and frustration.

The truth is only ever within you. This is why many of us experience regret after following another’s advice. Deep down, we know we shouldn’t have ignored our instincts.

It’s not about making the “right” choice but about trusting yourself and understanding you are choosing what is best for your current situation.

Fear keeps us where we are. Intuition leads us to who we want to be.

neutrally observing the situation and responding accordingly but without attaching judgment to it.

Our thinking minds will convince us that we must have everything figured out. But buying into this belief will only cause additional stress and suffering. We don’t have to have it all figured out, nor can we. How can our limited minds possibly understand and try to manipulate the entire world to our desires?

If they had listened only to logic and reason, they would never have taken a leap of faith to pursue their dreams.

Following our hearts can be risky, but we guarantee our unhappiness when we do not.

Your intuition is usually the choice that makes you feel a tinge of fear because it requires you to step into the unknown to create a new reality rather than stay in your familiar one. Nothing that grows can stay the same—especially you.

To surrender to the ebbs and flows of life and accept things as they are instead of how you think they should be.