Where do our thoughts come from? I know that’s a strange question, but let’s investigate. Do we create them? Can we control them? If we can, are all our thoughts positive and pleasant? Not mine!
Thoughts arrive like visitors. We notice some of them when they appear, and others slip in through the back door of awareness. It’s worth taking a moment to think about thoughts. For me,
- they are a surprise, like snowflakes on the sidewalk
- they take the form of ideas, memories or fantasies
- they can be random or repetitive
- they evoke physical responses, for example: thoughts of food whet my appetite; a memory brings joy or sadness; fantasies… well you know!
We usually take thoughts seriously, and we attach meaning to them. We even combine thoughts to form causal relationships we call beliefs, for example:
“Walking under a ladder brings bad luck.”
“People with more education get better jobs.”
Even though we don’t create our thoughts, we take credit for them; we say, “I think,” I know,” and we refer to them as “my thoughts.”
Thoughts are no more true than the ads we watch on TV. Byron Katie says unquestioned thoughts can cause suffering. She questions their truth. If I believe I’m too fat, too thin, too short, too tall, too smart, too dumb (pick one), she challenges, “Is that thought true? Can you absolutely know that it’s true? How do you react when you believe that thought? And without the thought?”
Questioned or not, thoughts appear. There’s a thought arising right now, and another, and another judging that one! Thoughts are a functioning of the universe. Woops…that’s a belief. Did you notice?
Everything on this blog can only come from thought.
Please question everything.
Comments (12)
That is definitely Powellful, I'm definitely going to start saying yes to things that does not push me over my boundaries and see where my journey continues to take me what wise words.
-jewel
I usually welcome thoughts, but not when they come at night, invading my mind and causing insomnia.
You are so right!!!
Thoughts are coming and we might not even notice. I agree with you.
Can Not Wait To Read More!
N, love your comments.
Look for a new post every Sunday morning!
Thanks. It is very powerful to recognize thoughts as invaders and not necessarily an integral part of who we are
Mike,
Great thought!
I would specifically like to commend you on your closing advice: “Please question everything.”
How appropriate it is in an age, where we narrowed our thoughts to 140-character-long tweets, acronym-infested text messages, meaningless facebook postings, 3 seconds-long soundbites and so on. In an age, where everything is accepted at face value (most of the time without questioning), simply because the messages appear on a screen in printed fonts. In an age, where we react with lightning speed, without ever having bothered to fully read, never mind to understand, the question posed in the email or text message. Stop and think? Whoever has the time?
Questioning takes time and effort. Neither of which we are willing to make. Ding, you got mail. Beep-beep, you have a text message. Ring-ring, your phone. Who is calling? Oh, the person, who just sent the ding email. “Where is your answer??” – (s)he asks. We allow communications technology (which nowadays I consider an oxymoron) to drive our lives with the speed of electrons. Questioning is out of the question.
Alex,
Interesting observations... "Stop and think? Whoever has the time? Questioning takes time and effort." amen.
Beautiful post, Judy! That is my thought. Here is another thought about thought from How to Spin Gold (a little known novel by an obscure author).
"I sat down, wishing I had a wheel or a drop spindle or even a carding comb and some raw wool. I needed work for my hands in order to think. And thought--not some vague mental wondering but thought as movement of the spirit--was the task that loomed before me now."
Elizabeth,
The novel, How to Spin Gold, has many wonderful insights! Thanks for this one.
Yes.......I thoughtfully agree!!
Your thoughts are very welcome, Rita.