The Acceptance Paradox: Working With Negative Thoughts

Recurring negative thoughts often get stronger when we fight them. In this talk, I explore the acceptance paradox and two ways of responding: a Buddhist practice of observing thoughts and sensations with curiosity, and a Stoic or CBT-style practice of examining the judgement and cognitive distortions inside a thought.
You will also hear why sleep, stress, support and unresolved experiences can affect what returns to mind, and why regular journalling, meditation and philosophical practice make these moments easier to meet. This is educational, not therapy, and it does not promise to remove negative thoughts.

Reviews

Jam packed session this morning. Love the two arrows analogy. We do just that alright. 😂

Been listening to you for awhile now and I really enjoy your work, keep it up my friend 🤘

Short talks like these with bullet point type tips are very useful. Easy to listen while on the go. I learned a few new ideas. Thank you!

That was great! Such a helpful reflection, and served as both reminder and kind of a synthesis of several things that I had previously heard separately. Thank you.

Great way to explain to someone why they should apply their perception and intellect to their own life experiences and their reactions to them! Thanks, Jon, nice work!
Donna