Our Thoughts Are Not Our Master

“Our thoughts are not our master; they are simply visitors passing through our mind.” -The Practice of Groundedness, Brad Stulberg

All of us experience negative thoughts. These thoughts can:

• Stop us from trying something new - “I’m not good enough.”

• Reinforce a cycle of self-doubt.

• Make it easy to avoid, self-sabotage, or fixate only on the negative.

Our thoughts come and go, but when we dwell on them and start letting them create our identity, we begin to live the thought rather than our true nature and character. We let the thought become our master. 

We don’t have to accept the thought as truth - it’s simply a thought.  It is a suggestion, not a command. Ask  yourself, “Is this thought helping me move forward or creating fear and self-doubt?”  

There are many ways to change our thoughts; listing them would change this blog into a book. Start with something simple:

• What advice would you give to someone who has that thought?

• Ask yourself, “What is the opposite of this?”

• Write down positive actions or successes 

The key is to remember that it’s just a thought. You don’t have to follow it, and if it doesn’t align with who you want to be, don’t follow it. 

Don’t get tangled in a string of negative thoughts. Let them pass through until you find a thought that aligns with who you are and where you want to go.