Examine the mind was part one and being mindful was part two of how to corral the busy mind into a healthier pace. In my class last night I was looking at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as the method to explore for this class on counseling theory. In any cognitive oriented work with clients the main focus is on examining our thoughts and beliefs. We all have faulty thinking, incorrect beliefs, misperceptions of self, and limiting self-talk. These mistakes of thinking are where we will focus in today’s post.
Thinking is made up of what we learn, what we study and explore, what we sense, what others have told us, and our reactions to situations, events and the world we live in. Thinking is complex because so much of it is not ours but passed to us from others. As mentioned in another previous post, our thinking is too often made up of unexamined ideas and beliefs that are running us and we are not even sure how come.
Let’s look at thoughts from the viewpoint that they all need to be evaluated carefully and objectively with the intention of determining whether these thought running around in our head are true for us or not. Most of our thoughts are not the truth. They are just thoughts. If they are not true what should we do?
Begin by question every thought and belief we have. Question these ideas by asking are they true or not? Are they reality or just an idea we agree to believe in? Ask are we more than our thoughts? What beliefs that we have are passed on to us and need to be re-evaluated? How do we know if a belief is true or not? Who decides what is true for you and I? If something is passed on to us or taught to us does that make it right? What beliefs from our church, minister and religion need to be examined? What beliefs from our schooling, our peers and our family need to be questioned?
False beliefs and faulty thinking are huge inhibiters to a wonderful life; where and how are we holding ourselves back?
After I wrote this first draft I had this insight as I was listening to an interview of James O’Dea on Theatre of the Mind. Ideology is a great threat to our world and ideology is made up of unexamined thoughts and beliefs. In history most wars and much human suffering have been caused by ideology. Ideology is groupthink at its lowest most destructive form. Consciousness and compassion are humans at their most open and enlightened thinking.
Free yourself and help free all of us by examining all your thoughts and beliefs. All the world’s problems will shrink away when we find peace of mind and live by our higher truths.