Most of the problems arise because we live in our heads, instead of taking action. Born with a negativity bias, our mind always tries to label things as good or bad, and it is fine to a degree, but in lack of awareness, this bias can turn our lives into a living hell.
Let’s do a quick exercise! Before we start, get a pen and paper (or use an app on the phone).
Here we go:
For the next 5 minutes, write down all the thoughts that come to your mind (it is fine if your mind is running fast, just write as much as you can)
Once time is up, look back at your list and label these thoughts as positive or negative (if you can’t decide then mark them as neutral)
What did you find? Chances are that there were more negative thoughts than positive. If not, then pat yourself. You are already on a good track 😊
Our life takes the color of our thoughts. If your mind was running mostly on a negative gear in these 5 minutes, chances are that most of your day is filled with negativity as well. How is it related to meditation?
In meditation, you simply surrender to the moment. Unlike this 5-minute exercise, you do not try to label any thought as good or bad. In fact, you do not even think about thoughts. They come and go. As you get better at this, you train your brain to stop labeling things in general, and simply stand away as an observer.
And you know well about labels from Waters of Love – Level 1. Most of them are anyway biased, just like the number 9 taken as good in Indian culture vs bad in Chinese culture. Overthinking about such things can only spoil your mental calm and nothing else.
Labels are like rocks in the stream of life. The stream flows regardless of the rocks, but if you hold on to them, you are left out of the flow. Even worse, sometimes the waves can smash you against the rocks you are holding on to. To swim or not, the choice is yours.