Once upon a time ...
The mind crafts wonderful narratives that create order and meaning out of our experiences.
Perhaps the most impressive story of all is the self-story. Using words and images, the mind weaves together a continuous sense of person-hood for us. These thoughts about ourselves fuse together over time, creating a seemingly solid entity we call my "self."
But beware.
There are some myths, risks, problems, and projections associated with taking the mind's story as literal truth.
Myths • My thoughts are always accurate and true
• My thoughts are always urgent and important • I can control my thinking • I must believe what I think • I am the sum of my thoughts and what my mind tells me about myself |
Risks• Shrinking your identity to the content of your thoughts
• Bypassing the reality of your experience for the mind's commentary on it • Never having a "good enough" self-story |
Problems• Buying into negative beliefs that bubble out of temporary mood states
• Endless self-esteeming: having to keep improving the mind's self-story • Addiction to mental noise • Fear of stillness & silence |
Projections• People should behave the way I think they should
• What my mind says is right • Other people should share my beliefs • My thoughts control all my actions |