Should you avoid your thoughts? Yes, definitely. At least 99% of these are opinions, judgements, sentiments and beliefs. In other words, you don’t need them. This is a follow-up article to Thoughts About Thinking Can Hurt You. Does it irritate you to read about shunning your thoughts? If so, please realize that the mind reacts to almost anything that represents change.
Let’s go an additional step. To avoid your thoughts does not mean to deny or reject them. You should not oppose the mind and its process of thinking. It is best to accept them. But then let them go. Observe any give thought. Especially one or more that stands out from the others. It will be possible to acknowledge most thoughts as repetitive, inconclusive and superfluous. Plainly said, you don’t need to focus on the majority of thoughts. Do you truly desire conscious awakening and to live consciously?
Avoid Thoughts and Experience Consciousness
Please consider the following ideas if your answer was yes to the above question. Don’t be afraid of thoughts. Most are only phantoms of the mind. They are useless. You can live, laugh, cry or die without needing these thoughts. Therefore, practice consciously observing thoughts. Likewise, it is okay to briefly focus on a thought. But don’t attach anything to it. It is just a thought. One of between 50,000 and 70,000 per day. This would be an average of 48 thoughts per minute. That seems to be a lot. (The mind will tell you.) But remember that 99% are useless.
Please also do not take this percent estimate too seriously. I am simply suggesting that we attach ourselves to many, many thoughts. Equally beneficial to conscious awakening is not to define or label. We often confuse what and who we are with what the mind is thinking. In previous articles I offered you the mantra I am not my thoughts as a daily exercise.
The mind will tell you otherwise. But don’t trust what it says. You innately know which thoughts are trust-worthy. This will become more apparent as you become more consciously aware. There is a rule of thumb relating to the thoughts we can avoid. Ask yourself what significance any given thought has with this moment.
