Mental Diet
One of the greatest challenges I have faced so far is the 7-day Mental Diet. I almost sheepishly admit that it has taken well in excess of seven days to make whatever progress I have managed to make.
As far as progress goes, I am almost always able to banish an unwanted thought within 6 or 7 seconds of realizing I am thinking in a way I don’t want to think. My next step is to come sooner to the initial awareness that I need to be thinking differently.
Interestingly, I have gained some new insights about the type of thoughts not to entertain: some of these thoughts are not exactly negative.
For instance, when I am facing a situation in need of a resolution, I may see an unwanted outcome and then start reflecting on what I will do to solve it. Such a thought is not with value, per se. Subby is really doing his job by warning me of dangers and getting me to think of how to skirt them.
However, Subby often acts in an untimely manner; and I realize that this thought is not a thought I want to be thinking NOW. I then negotiate with Subby, thanking him for bringing up this thought; but I decide not to make out of that thought my experience of NOW.
This is such a powerful insight Andy!! Thanks for sharing it, I find myself doing the same thing, running scenarios of “what if” and I will “do this if this happens”, and I am working on not even entertaining those scenarios… since most of the time they do not even happen! Thanks again for sharing it well!