Note: You are welcome to take a look at my newest interview, Embracing Peace and Fulfillment, here.
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āHow long will you think about this painful life?
How long will you think about this harmful world?
The only thing it can take from you is your body.
Donāt say all this rubbish and stop thinking.ā
~Rumi
Have you noticed that an unexamined mind is a self-centered mind? If youāre unaware ofĀ the thoughts youāre thinking, you will automatically believe them to be trueāand there you are, fully engaged in the story of me, me, me.
Without realizing it, youāre constantly thinking about what you need, what you want, and what you should or shouldnāt be doing or feeling.
The āIā that you define yourself as is the reference point for everything, and all your thoughts are about your personal agenda.
- Am I okay?
- Am I getting what I need?
- Am I doing the right thing?
- Am I safe?
- I want more.
- I think he shouldnāt have said that.
- In my opinion, she should be doing it differently.
- Itās his fault, not mine.
Not only is this inner self-talk exhausting, it creates an agitated, unhappy mind.
If you identify with all that the mind is saying and it becomes the sole focus of your attention, how do you feel? Agitated and unhappy.
Letās consider what might be possible beyond the habit of this self-focused thinking. Instead of engaging with a mind filled to the brim with personal thoughts of fear and dissatisfaction, consider the radical proposition of being empty.
What if you were empty of these personal thoughts? How? Take them in a big heap and put them asideā¦because theyāre not serving your peace and happiness.
And what remains? Youāre hereā¦pure, pristine, and empty, with a mind infinitely open like the sky. Completely relaxedā¦breath breathing itselfā¦
You might think you need a personal self with all of its preferences and opinions. But hereās the truth: you donāt.
Life goes along just fine whether or not the mind is chattering. And when youāre empty of the personal self, your experience will be so much more peaceful.
But donāt take my word for it. Find out in your own experience. Next time youāre lost in suffering, realize how much your attention is feeding the story of meā¦meā¦me. Subtract the āmeā and all that goes with itā¦and youāre one with the seamless flow of life.
Become familiar with the story of the separate self and how it wends its way into your mind and body. Then empty it out. Pour out the personal needs and strategies that arenāt serving. Throw away the needless opinions, demands, and expectations.
Then experience yourself as fully here, deeply quiet, and available to lifeās unfoldingā¦