Every time I see that bumper sticker I find myself pausing, smiling and going Yes!

Back in 1988 I ran across a book called “The Three Minute Meditator.” Life was super busy, Robin was 6. I was starting a new job and plotting a move to some property in the country. Undeveloped is a nice word for no-running-anything. It didn’t feel like I had time to breathe much less meditate. This book taught me that I could stop – stop the mind movie, focus on how my body felt or my breathe or just what was around me. Ahha…. All at a stop light.

Many many books, workshops, experiences brought me along. “The Power of Now” was the next really BIG one that disconnected mind from thought. Eckhart Tolle expanded my thoughts about thoughts and gave me a Huge gift with the concept of pain body. (But that’s another post….).

But “The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer was the crème de la crème. My copy is festooned with underlines and highlights in 6 or 7 colors. Every time I read it I find another treasure.The following parsed quote from Michael’s book was the AHHA for me about thinking.

“The first you will notice about this your voice (in your head) is that it never shuts up. You do hear it when it talks, don’t you? Make it say “hello” right now. Say it over and over a few times.” (IMPORTANT HERE:) There is a voice talking, and there is you who notices the voice talking… But it’s difficult to see that no matter what the voice says, it is still just a voice talking AND YOU LISTENING. There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind – you are the one who hears it.”

My life really started to change when I “got” it. First there was the concept of just because I thought something – that didn’t make it true or real or anything. It was just something that I thought for some reason or other – programming, culture, parents, school, a belief I use to like but maybe have outgrown, or perhaps a new idea that I’m intrigued with.

Then after I realized that maybe all of my thoughts weren’t true – nor the emotions the thoughts caused I ran across Byron Katie. She came to Flagstaff, Arizona years ago… What a treat to see her in person. And she has The Work. Which is a grand way to deconstruct a thought. Give it a try. Especially when you are just Positive that somebody is wrong, behaving badly, or just plain out to get you.

IT’S JUST A PRACTICE. Life is a practice. Life is Play! We are here to learn and grow and Love. So I have to remind myself not to take my thoughts too seriously, or my thoughts about my thoughts, or my “work” around my thoughts, (goes on…..). But it is nice to practice “Not Believing Everything I Think….”.