QUIETING THE MIND

If you observe your problems, you will notice that most of them are rooted in your mind. The basic premise is the same: some external event happens; you choose to see only one side of the story, and then interpret the situation such that it causes some form of mental conflict, resulting in some form of emotional suffering.

While it is easy to simply say, “drop your problems”, you and I both know that it is not that simple. We all have had years and years of conditioning in attracting problems and conflicts. So much so, that the simple concept of ‘stop thinking about problems’ will not be so effective you need tools that strike at the problem’s root.

Let’s try this exercise; close your eyes for a few minutes and during these minutes, send out the intention that you want silence and stillness, and you do not want to be pulled away from this silence by thoughts. (Pause your reading and go do this.)

Okay, so what happened? You probably noticed that the moment you become silent, thoughts started popping up – random and unrelated thoughts. These thoughts become a form of distraction, pulling you away from your inner silence.

This was only an experiment where you consciously observed your mind and tried to become still, but could not. Imagine the state of your inner space, while you are going about your day, unaware of the polluting in-coming thoughts.

As a result, your inner space becomes cluttered with useless information, with thoughts that are not conducive to your well-being, or expansion. Because your inner space is cluttered, your inner clarity and in-born wisdom become distant and foggy. Essentially, you've lost touch with the part of your inner self that is sacred, wise, peaceful, and eternal.

The distractions that you've  declared as urgent and important, such as watching TV, updating your Facebook and Twitter pages, checking email, etc. all pull at you. They all pull at your attention, distracting you and taking you away from things that are truly important to enlightenment, and things that will bring lasting happiness and fulfillment to your life. And whether you recognize it or not, the information that you expose yourself to, fills your inner space on some level, and affects your emotions and desires (programming which we will cover later). If you’re not careful, you may find yourself rushing through life, spending your precious time on this planet focused on that which does not matter – and then wonder where did your life go?

AFFIRMATION: “My conscious mind is at peace as I go through this day, as I am sensitive to the eternal peace of Creator’s presence within me.”