‘There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind—you are the one who hears it.’
— Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul
After reading “The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer my life improved because I stopped attaching emotions to my thoughts. I realized that overanalyzing the future is futile since the mind knows nothing about the future. I was once again reminded how the voice of the mind never stops.
Recently it was my daughter’s birthday and as I do every year with all my daughters (I have 3) I called and sang the “Happy Birthday “song, leaving it as a message. The following morning I woke up in worry and beginning to spiral downwards as she did not call me back or respond to my birthday message. Thus began my mind and body having some powerful feelings (thoughts). First was worry, is everything all right? Second, sadness, my daughter did not even think enough about me to thank me for the call. Third, guilt, I guess I deserve this because I was not that great of a Father to them when they were growing up. These thoughts just came pouring into my consciousness and I began to feel tension and a lack of peace.
I became very aware of this upset and was focusing my attention on these feelings. I was losing my sense of Self and was becoming attached to the negative energies created by my thinking.
Then I stopped as I reminded myself:
I am not my thoughts; I am the one who is aware of my thoughts.
What I share with you is a common reaction within all of us and creates a life ruled by negative energy because we are constantly bombarded with outside events that demand our attention. We become absorbed in this way of life. Here is what you can do the next time you feel you are spiraling into downward negative emotions. Remind yourself of the following:
- “These negative energies are not who I am.” Who we really are is the consciousness that notices these energies and becomes aware of them and what they are doing.
- Separate yourself from these thoughts and see that they are simply things demanding your attention. Often, if we do not stop and notice them we tend to bury them and they remain with us; sometimes for our entire lifetime. They become walls that close us in and dictate how we live. The key to freeing ourselves from these potential walls is to become aware of them, notice what they are saying to us and know that they are not who we are. We can, through conscious choice, separate ourselves and let them go.
- Relax the area around your heart, breathe deeply and let thoughts go like a bubble floating into the air. They are simply energy that can be released and allowed to dissipate. Then refocus thoughts, on who you really are: Soul which is peaceful, unlimited, joyful, and directly connected to Source. When you do this, you are ready to become aware of the next energetic ripples that are coming your way – because they are constantly coming at us.
Constantly and daily applying this awareness in my life allows me to remain peaceful and separate from the negative demands for my attention. I notice them, release them, and remain present to who I really am.
I’ll end with another great quote from Michael Singer for you to ponder. ‘If you’re willing to be objective and watch all your thoughts, you’ll see that the vast majority of them have no relevance. They have no effect on anything or anybody, except you. They are simply making you feel better or worse about what is going on now, what has gone on in the past, or what might go on in the future.’