Don’t Believe Everything You Think {Mantra 17}
Our thoughts can be tricky things. To make sense of our world, our thoughts weave delicious stories, scary stories, explanatory stories.
But our thoughts often tell us false stories, too.
For instance, recount an argument you’ve had in the past with your partner. Do you both agree on all the details of what happened, what was said? Our thoughts are rarely (ever?) 100% accurate about our memories from the past.
Our thoughts are also awful predictors of the future. We may think we know what will happen next or what will make us happy next month, but life rarely matches our predictions.
Even our thoughts in the present (whether positive or negative) can’t be fully trusted.
Do you ever think these thoughts?
- This problem will never go away
- She just doesn’t like me
- This day is perfect
- I’m not good enough
- I would never do something like that
Your thoughts don’t know everything.
Don’t believe everything you think.
Thinking our thoughts are always correct is an easy trap to fall into.
How can we counteract believing everything we think:
- Ask God for wisdom. (But even though God’s thoughts are perfect, we don’t perfectly understand them).
- Listen to other people (although don’t believe everything they think either…read about the Confidence Bias here).
- Be humble. Accept you have more to learn.
- Pay attention to different perspectives. There’s more than one way to see things.
- Realize you could be wrong. (You’ve been wrong before, right?)
- Appreciate the unknowable. Much of life is a mystery.
As Richard Rohr says, “Yes, the mind is very useful, but when it does not recognize its own finite viewpoint, it is also useless.”
Listen to what you say to yourself. But . . .
Don’t believe everything you think.
This is my year of RELEASE, which includes releasing false narratives as I become aware of them—stories I unconsciously create in my head to explain why something happened.
Do you make up stories in your head, too? (Please tell me I’m not the only one.)
Read More:
- Is It Okay to Complain If It’s Only in My Head?
- How to Harness the Voice in Your Head
- Is Questioning Your Religion Bad?
You are on Day #17 of the series: Find Your Mantra {28 Daily Mantras}
Previous:
“Make the memories good” {Mantra 16}
Next:
“This is not the end” {Mantra 18}
We can be our worst enemy, can’t we? As I get older, I find myself questioning my thoughts and perspectives more. And double-checking my work! Yes, life is mystery. Each day a new discovery can debunk what was thought the “truth” the day before! I like to say, “I know what I know today, but that doesn’t mean I will know the same tomorrow.” 🙂
OOOO, this one really hit me and then I added it to my mantra list. So true yet I do get caught up with this. Listened to Emily Freeman podcast this week and her guest Hillary McBride shared these words when we find ourselves feeling fear: Is it a real threat? a perceived threat? or a remembered threat?” I found that good guideline for evaluating what I am thinking, I ordered her book at the library and may be a good one for you too!
I need to listen to that podcast too. Thanks, Jean! I’ve read the second of Hillary’s books but not the first one. It’s on my list.
Our minds can spin a story that is so deceptive. Oh be careful little brain what you think!
Yes! I’ve been wrong before … in fact, many times!
And, no, you’re not the only one.
When I was younger, I thought my thoughts were true, but when I became older, I learned to listen to the Lord, others, and wait for truth to come fully in the light.
I often have those thoughts and other similar thoughts. I have to remind myself- this is justa thought. This is not a fact. You know people care about you because___ You know that the truth is ____ you know that God says_____ Asking God for wisdom and taking every thought captive is the key. Great blog; I shared this on Facebook. Again, I apologize for my previous comment. I did not know we could write about anything we wanted. I thought we all had to use the one word prompt. Thank you for correcting me.
No problem about the mistaken assumption, Terri. I’m glad we each have the freedom to write about the topics that interest us the most. 🙂
I appreciate your thoughts here on the post. I agree that taking every thought captive is key. I definitely need God’s help with this because it’s difficult enough to catch ourselves having faulty thoughts, and then difficult to correct them. Grace is critical.
This is such an important mantra! I’ve been guilty of thinking my thoughts are the gospel truth, when, in fact, they are just my thoughts. It’s been freeing to realize I don’t have all the answers (nor do I need to).
this makes me wonder how many lies i’ve believed over the years and have taken to heart …
This is so true, Lisa. I love the Richard Rohr quote!
I love the advice you give to counteract believing every thought we have is true. I’d like to believe the positive thoughts I have but would give anything to believe the negative thoughts were a figment of my imagination!
Such a good reminder and something I need to remember often.
You are not the only one who tells stories in your head! I think this is one way the mind can be so very useful, but only if we realize they are stories. If we take them for reality, they become useless. (Following that great quote from Richard Rohr.) I think that reality is in God’s hands and he leads us towards it, but slowly. Not taking all our thoughts for the ultimate reality is a very important practice on that journey.
Excellent insights, Lisa, and I love the remake of the old adage, “Don’t believe everything you hear,” especially, maybe, when it’s our own inner dialogue, huh? 🙂
xo
L