Not all thinking of course.

The creativity, problem solving and reasoning which you might smartly call our IQ certainly has a time and a place.

But there’s a flavour of thinking which is just as harmful as lighting up a Benson & Hedges.

And, I’d argue, even more addictive than taking a puff or a drag.

That flavour?

The thoughts we have about ourselves. 

I mean thoughts like what happened in our past, what might happen in our future, how we can solve whatever problems we’re facing, what action we’re going to take next or not take next, and on it goes.

Plus all the thoughts which are prompted by those thoughts too.  Like asking ourselves why we’re thinking what we’re thinking, or why we can’t stop thinking what we’re thinking.

These thought loops can go on forever.

Anyway, here’s why I’m comparing this flavour of thinking to smoking:

Playing thoughts over & over to try to settle ourselves down might look like a good idea at the time.

But it’s not.  It actually makes things worse.

I’d go so far to say that replaying thoughts is the source of the anguish that our thinking is trying to solve in the first place.

I know that might sound strange.  After all, how can the thoughts we’re using to cure our problems be the cause of those problems?

But it’s no different to taking a puff of a ciggie to ease your stress without realising this puff is actually causing you more stress, not less. 

That’s what all the studies show.  The cure is actually the culprit, even though it appears the other way round.

So am I suggesting we all stop thinking?

Funnily enough, I don’t think this would be a bad outcome.  See if you can bring to mind all the times in your life when things seemed the calmest, most peaceful, happiest or most joyful.  And then ask yourself how much you were thinking during these moments.

The Zen Master Seung Sahn once said “No thinking, no mind.  No mind, no problem”.

Wise words my friend, although there is one problem:

Unless you’ve spent 40 years up a mountain in a Zen Monastery, you probably can’t switch your thoughts on and off at will.

But there is another way.

A much simpler way in fact.

A way which gets to the nub of things.

If you find yourself playing your thoughts over and over again in your head, searching harder and harder for the ever elusive answers to whatever problems you’re facing and still find yourself getting nowhere, my suggestion is to look in a different direction.

And that’s to the nature of your relationship with your thoughts.

When you’re ready to get started, I can help.

Here’s where to go for more:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com

 - Tom