#70
Intrusive thoughts come and go as they please. We need to learn to become skilled observers, so we can recognise them, accept them and then release them. Otherwise they have the power to take over our whole being!
Unlike other thoughts, intrusive thoughts introduce an element of danger to our identity (ego) or they make us believe we’re in danger (fear).
“Did I turn off the stove?”
“What will people say when they discover that I did this…”
“Nobody loves me.”
If you’ve got a random worry that pops into your head from time to time, such as “I will never achieve my dreams” or “What if my pet secretly hates me”, that evokes some real emotions within, you are probably dealing with intrusive thoughts.
While intrusive thoughts are nothing more than thoughts (and not facts), they feel pretty damn real. This is because we have the power to attach emotions to thoughts. That’s why we love making vision boards or fantasising about a dream life.
Remember that we also have the power to detach from thoughts (and emotions). That’s precisely the point of practicing meditation – learning to just be an observer of thoughts (and emotions) that come and go without getting attached to any of them.
The more we practice being observers of our inner and outer world, the more balanced our perspective will be.
When we become skilled observers, we are no longer operating from a lack mindset and applying judgement to the thoughts and feelings we experience. Instead we allow ourselves to experience life just as it is and just as we are, open to whatever may come next.
