A Thought is Just a Thought

Along the lines of "things I wish someone had told me sooner," let me offer this little tidbit: 

A thought is just a thought. 

My, how we cling tenaciously to our thoughts, even when they're destructive, even when they make us miserable!

For most of us, the idea that our minds can lead us astray is a little discombobulating.  Furthermore, the idea that there is an 'I' that is distinct from the part of us that is thinking our thoughts is a little like the kid in The Matrix saying, "there is no spoon." 

Say what??? 

But it's true. Our minds generate thoughts all day long, and, for some of us, all during those waking hours of the night! 

Our thoughts create a version of reality we end up swallowing, hook, line, and sinker. 

Oh, and another thing no one ever told us? Our thoughts have a negative bias. They're predisposed to paint a picture of gloom and doom. 

For most Americans in the 21st century, the idea that we can observe, choose, and direct our thoughts is a brand new one. 

I discovered that when I believed my thoughts, I suffered, but that when I didn't believe them, I didn't suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment. That joy is in everyone, always. - Byron Katie

It starts with this little idea: a thought is just a thought.