The Present Is Your Friend — Don’t Resist It

When you’re lost in your thoughts, you’re always stuck in the future or past

I was on a run the other day when I started to observe a dialogue in my head. I’ve been practicing Eastern Philosophy and Mindfulness for several years, and observing the mind is one of the skills I’ve learned to gain peace of mind.

We all have a voice inside of our heads that seems to commentate on everything it sees. It also loves to criticize you or push you to go after things it desires. Things like more food, money, sex, alcohol, drugs, travel, entertainment.

Here’s the dialogue I observed on my run:

“Damn, it’s cold for May. It’s 8°C (46°F). Crazy.

I wish I was in the Caribbean. I really had a good time on Curaçao last time I was there. Great island.

How can I go there now? Do I have any appointments next week? I need to figure out how I can get there.

What do tickets cost? Might be an expensive trip.

I need to think of ways to earn more.”

A simple run could have turned into a journey of coming up with all kinds of ways to earn more money. Fortunately, I don’t listen to my thoughts anymore.