By now, your attention should be shifted inward as you notice what you are thinking. You are developing an awareness of at least some of your daily thought habits. You are also meditating on a regular basis (several times week). Up to this point, you have made no effort to change your habits or prevent your thoughts. You have let them roll through your mind unhampered.
I am going to give you an exercise designed to remind you to inspect inwardly. Set your wrist watch or cell phone alarm to ring several times a day (resetting each time it goes off for an hour later). When your reminder alarm sounds, stop! Jot down exactly what thoughts are present when the alarm sounded. Make no attempt to embellish the thought or think of something if you cannot recall. If you do not know or cannot remember your thought, write down I drew a blank. You will be surprised how quickly the thought leaps from your clutch. Set your alarm for the next half hour or hour and do the same. Keep this log for several days. Your goal is to awaken to your thoughts. As you progress, you will naturally begin inspecting your thoughts several times a day without the aid of the alarm. The alarm helps you develop the habit of peeking inside your mind.
As you journal your thought log, set aside at least ten minutes to half an hour a day to meditate. Meditation shuts out the physical world forcing your focus inward. Meditating is not difficult. In fact it is relatively easy and should leave you feeling refreshed. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Quiet dimly lit rooms work nice. Sit on a comfortable chair; lay on the floor, or on your bed. This is mental work and dozing off is not allowed. Save meditating for a time when you are alert, yet able to relax.
Find your comfortable spot. Close your eyes and let your thoughts flow freely. Permit them to trail. Pay attention to the speed at which thoughts “pop” in for a visit. They come. They go. Often thoughts are followed by similar thoughts and clear images. Other times their randomness distracts from the picture. Your goal is to familiarize yourself with you. The only way to know you is to go inside you and feel your presence through your thoughts. Mediate in this fashion for several days, again making no effort to control your thoughts. Your goal at this point is self awareness. Repeat this process of dropping in on your thoughts for several days until you feel connected to the inner you.
You are not ready to move forward until the connection is felt. You are a ships captain right now getting familiar with the crew and equipment. You would make no attempt to sail your vessel without proper acclimation.
It is OK to feel overwhelmed by your thoughts; most people do, which is why they tuck them nicely away inside their head and spend time dazzling themselves with their physical acquisitions. You will never try to control your thoughts sporadic nature. You will only direct your thoughts towards your ideals as you currently define them. Directing your thoughts requires that you (1) disarm destructive thoughts and (2) install constructive thoughts. The rest of your imaginative, spontaneous, unprompted, unstructured thoughts should be left to prowl.
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