#7 Taking control of your thoughts: "we already believe so much nonsense, we might as well choose the nonsense we believe"
- Maria Strauss
- Oct 11, 2024
- 1 min read
When we don't examine what we are thinking, our unconscious thoughts (unknowingly) guide and direct our choices and behaviours. Our unconscious thoughts have autonomy.
When we become aware of these thoughts, when we unpack them and examine them, they loose their hold over us. To do so, I love this simple technique by Byron Katie.
First of all, identify the thought - and the emotion linked to it. Write it down. For instance:
"I am angry with Sannie, because she does not want to help me."
Now ask yourself these four questions:
Is it true?
Can I say with absolute certainty that it is true?
How do I show up or feel when I believe this thought?
Who will I be or how will I show up without this thought?
Finally, work on some "turnarounds" of the thought and think of scenarios where the turnaround may actually also be true. For instance:
Sannie does want to help me.
Sannie is not able to help me.
Sannie does not want to help herself.
I don't want to help myself.
You see, we already believe so much nonsense, we might as well choose what we want to believe - and choose thoughts that serve us.
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