If Your One Job Is To Change Your Thinking

So often we let the circumstances around us dictate how we think or feel, or we let those things decide what we'll do. Today we're going to do something different. As though it's our one and only job, we're going to choose the thoughts we think.

With curiosity rather than judgement, you're invited to practice becoming the watcher of your thoughts and not the thinker. That's the moment when you take back your power to choose.

It's not about being perfect. Every moment of awareness counts, because these moments accumulate. And when you're able to choose how you want to think and feel, you're not just choosing how you show up in the world. You're also choosing what shows up around you.

Transcript

Today's meditation is about our thinking. And what happens when we choose to treat it as our one job. So often we let the circumstances around us dictate how we think or feel, And we let those things decide what we'll do. But today, We're going to decide to do something different. Today, As though it's our one and only job, We're going to choose the thoughts we think. So let's begin. Start by relaxing your whole body and take a deep breath in. Inhale. And exhale. And let's take one more deep breath in, Allowing your whole body to feel completely relaxed. So inhale. And exhale. I invite you to come to today's practice with an attitude of curiosity rather than judgment. See if you can embrace this time with a simple question. What if I could change my thinking every day, Or all through the day? Take a moment to contemplate what your life might look like if you were able to decide how you were going to go through your day, No matter what. My favorite author on this subject is Thomas Troward, And there's a line in one of his books that echoes through my head continually. He says, The inward subjective states are the only true reality. So what does he mean? Are inward subjective states are the only true reality? I think he means that the innermost attitude, Made up of our thoughts and feelings, Is the thing that determines what we experience around us. So if we want to change what we experience, We need to change our innermost state. But how do we do that? What if you decided that it is your one job, Your greatest opportunity, To change how you think? So let's try it with a quick visualization. I invite you to think back to a time when you were really upset or angry, Frustrated or disappointed. Whatever the negative emotion, Try to imagine how you felt and where you were and what was happening around you. And we'll only do this briefly, But sometimes life can be overwhelming. So see if you can get back into that state. There's times when things can feel really challenging. See if you can imagine yourself in one of those moments and think back to how you were feeling and what you were thinking then. Now imagine you were able to watch yourself in your situation as though it were a scene in a movie. Except instead of sitting in the audience imagine you could hover over above your scene like you were sitting on a cloud just above you watching yourself in anger or frustration or disappointment. Just notice, With curiosity rather than judgment, How upset you were. When we get locked in our own thinking, It's hard to see outside of ourselves. But when we do, We can come at our thinking with fresh perspective. What's something you would say to yourself if you could step outside of you in that moment to give you some comfort? What about, It's okay? Or, You're gonna be okay. Or everything's gonna be okay. Or you're doing a great job. Stepping outside of ourselves to find a new perspective isn't always easy. Sometimes we just can't do it in those really difficult moments. But when the difficult moment passes, If you can find a way to reflect, As though you're the watcher of your thoughts and not the thinker, That's the moment when you take back your power to choose. That's when you can choose to think different thoughts. If you're in a difficult season of your life, Changing your thinking can feel insurmountable. But it's not about being perfect. Every moment of awareness you have. Whether it's a few times a day. Or once in a blue moon. Those moments matter. They count because they accumulate. The more you consciously change your thinking, The greater your overall awareness becomes. And the more aware you are, The more you walk through life choosing how you want to think and feel no matter what's going on around you. When you're able to choose how you want to think and feel, You're not just choosing how you show up in the world, You also are choosing what shows up around you. That's the promise. That's what Thomas Troward means when he says the inward subjective states are the only true reality. So as we come to the end of today's short meditation, I invite you to practice stepping out of your thinking to see it from a wider perspective whenever you can, Especially in those moments when it's difficult to do and see what effect this practice has on your life. Thank you so much for taking the time to be here with me today. I'm Ilya Grace, And until next time, Trust in your practice and in your own inner guidance. And allow the universe to work its magic.