this post was submitted on 31 May 2025
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me_irl
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Don't believe everything you think
That's really nice thanks
Actually they're not far off. When you notice you're on a thought train and suddenly "wake up" like "oh shit where was I", THAT'S the key. Keep doing that, keep "waking up" and notice what it feels like and focus back on what you were doing. The more you do this, the less your mind will control you.
It's funny that this post and this comment have this very specific timing in my life. Just yesterday I had a realization that I need to start questioning my thoughts with closer scrutiny. I knew about my intrusive thoughts and am actively dealing with those, but once you catch on to them they become quite blatant.
The really tricky thoughts are the subtle bullying, the kind that gruadually erode your self esteem. In my case I have a bully in my brain that closely resembles the bullies I dealt with growing up. Meditative practices teach us to observe our thoughts and let them pass without giving them a reaction. This method can also be used when we're not actively meditating.
I don't know how to put this into non new age terms but a lot of people currently undergo a shift in their conscience. I think it has something to do with the current political scene. It's like even though we knew now we have proof that we weren't just crazy alarmists. Also we're all kinda bracing for tough times so maybe this is our minds rising to the occasion.
Personally I noticed just how much energy I waste rationalizing things I can't possibly understand. The beliefs I thought were my most rational ones often turned out to be mostly based on emotions. So I just stopped believing these thoughts without closer introspection and in the end I was able to let go of the coping mechanism as a whole.
Also sometimes thoughts are just another way of your subconscious communicating, just like mental images, and they need to be interpreted rather than taken at face value.
Inner bullies are similar to real bullies in that they're immature (in a non judgemental sense), they're insecure, and above all they crave attention. Maybe your inner bully can be transformed into a strengh if you don't pay attention to what he says but why he's acting that way towards you. Your own mind always acts in your best interest, just sometimes it's extremely misguided.