There is lots of advice in self-help books about ‘managing your thoughts’. Keep your mind positive! Eradicate negative thinking! etc. etc. All sounds good but I’ve found it’s all a lot more difficult for me to do than for others to write about.
Is there really an easy way to ‘manage’ the vast network of interlinking images, memories and associated feelings sparking through my head all the time? Is it truly possible to keep focused on positive up-beat thoughts?
Bet the Dalai Lama has off-days.
One solution is an NLP exercise called ‘The Stalker’, described by Robert Dilts. It involves imagining that you’re observing yourself being yourself.
Imagine you are tracking yourself just as a stalker stalks his prey. Observe your thoughts, feelings, reactions and breathing rate….I’ve found it’s excellent device when I am in tricky meetings and want to keep a lid on wayward emotions. Takes concentration though – and, after a while, I just get bored of being vigilant about me.
So, my current strategy is to ‘enjoy the ride’.
When I come across a thought that’s fun, I ‘ride’ it for all it’s worth. Given that a thought is merely an electrochemical reaction my head, I let most move on through my mind, without spending time on them. In other words, I’m learning to choose what thoughts to focus on, just as I might pick the most enjoyable rides to go on at a funfair.
Actually, I bet the Dalai Lama doesn’t have “off days” like you imagine him to have.