You know that voice in your head that won’t shut-up?
The one that starts chattering as soon as you get up in the morning and talks all day long until well past the time you need to be asleep?
Well. welcome to the thinking self!
It’s like a radio station that broadcasts 24/7.
But just because its there, doesn’t mean you have to pay attention.
Because the thinking self is NOT WHO YOU REALLY ARE.
You’re not the radio!
You’re the one listening to the radio.
(Switch over to the observing self, and you’ll see what I mean.)
What’s the observing self, you ask?
Oh, sweet friend! That’s the million-dollar question!
The observing self is the part of you that is AWARE. It doesn’t produce thoughts, it notices them.
And you’ll want it to be your very best friend!
Because the observer will help you disengage from the voice in your head that seems intent on keeping you miserable.
I’m talking about the reptilian brain. The part that was designed to keep us alive.
After a hundred-thousand years (or so) of evolution, this primitive part of our brain has gotten really good at judging and comparing and analyzing and imagining every terrible thing that could possibly happen to us.
And when it gets a hold of the microphone, watch out!
Its program of DOOM & GLOOM will have you grasping at your heart in a matter of minutes.
But have you ever noticed that most of that doom and gloom never actually happens?
I have.
I’ve been tracking this for years now in a Journal of Terror and Lies
And so far, my Lizard’s predictions have been DEAD WRONG.
And the fear I felt was my inner wisdom trying to tell me that.
In fact, I believe that fear is often an indicator that the thoughts you believe simply aren’t true.
I’ve experimented with this and noticed that every time I drop a thought that makes me anxious, a feeling of peace takes over.
Interesting.
So the next time you hear thoughts in your head like:
Sally’s gave me a look. I think she’s after my job.
No one took a second helping of pasta. They didn’t like my food.
Stop for a moment and become the observer.
Take a breath. Then feel inward to get a sense of who’s really speaking into the microphone.
If you feel crappy, that’s a clue.
Thoughts that cause you to feel defensive and afraid (or protective and angry) usually mean one thing. The Lizard Show is on the air.
Real fear informs you of danger and will have one of these markers of truth:
a clear source (like icy road conditions.) The fear is saying pay attention! In this case, you will get a very clean sense of quiet and intense focus that prepares you for ACTION. If the source is a snake or a bear—trust me, your fear will let you know what to do!
a FEELING of deep knowing in your body. This appears as almost a silence. It won’t come as a result of thoughts in the head.
Fear is always your friend because it’s always informing you. And with practice, you can become VERY good at interpreting it’s message.
But what if you get on an elevator and see a man who makes you uncomfortable?
How do you know if that “fear-feeling” is a signal that you’re believing thoughts that aren’t true—or if you’re really in danger?
Oh my god, sweet woman! Who cares! The clear answer here is to WALK AWAY.
What I’m talking about here is the constant stream-of-thoughts that plague you even when there’s no obvious (or even possible) threat in sight.
I'm talking about the thoughts that keep you from enjoying your life. The ones that distract you and keep you up at night.
Because if you don’t start paying attention to who’s at the microphone, then the Lizard will have you dancing to all its top-forty tunes.
Negative thoughts are NORMAL and they’re harmless unless you buy into their story.
By switching over to the observer, you can refuse to be a part of the show.
The truth is, YOU get to choose what to listen to! You get to choose what feels good!
Call it selective hearing.
Or call it consciousness.
Anytime you’re aware of your choices, you’re in that sweet-spot of personal power.
And trust me, that’s the best show of all!
Sending you so much love,
