- Do you sometimes wonder why your mind follows each thought and idea that pops into it?
- Why do you spend time thinking meaningless or unimportant thoughts?
- Why do you keep repeating thoughts that make you unhappy, anxious, and worried?
The mind’s natural tendency is to be restless and to think constantly, going from one thought to another. It cannot stay still for a moment. It keeps jumping from one thought to another, never standing still.
The Restless Mind Never Stands Still
The restless mind allows thoughts to come and go all the time, from morning till night, unable to stop for a moment. Most of these thoughts are not exactly invited; they occupy our attention for a while and then disappear, making a place for other thoughts.
This is the natural, habitual activity of the mind of most people.
Thoughts, like clouds in the sky, drift here and there.
Like the clouds, thoughts are not stable or permanent. One moment, you might be thinking one thought, and the next moment, a different thought.
Due to their ceaseless movement, thoughts distract the attention, disturb the focus, and are the reason for lack of concentration.
Thoughts Are Like Sea Waves
Thoughts also resemble the waves of the ocean, which are always in a state of motion, never standing still.
When you stand on the shore on a windy day, you see wave after wave rushing to the shore, one following the other. The mind is like an ocean, and thoughts are like waves, creating movement and whirlpools in the mind.
The Filters of the Mind
The mind always thinks, analyzes, and compares. It likes to find reasons and motives, ask questions, create problems, and try to solve them. It wants to be always active.
Everyone has some sort of mind filter that works automatically, allowing the mind to accept certain thoughts, accept certain beliefs, and reject others. This is why different people are attracted to different topics.
Some people occupy their minds with thoughts about a certain subject, while others don’t even think about the same topic.
- Why are some people attracted to football, and others aren’t?
- Why do some people love and admire a certain singer while other people don’t?
- Why do some people constantly think about a certain topic, and others never think about it?
- The reason for all this is the activity of the filter of the mind.
This filter works automatically and subconsciously. We never stop and say to certain thoughts, ‘Hey, I want you to occupy my attention,’ and we never say to other thoughts, ‘Go away.’ It is an automatic activity.
This filter in the mind started to be built from infancy. It was built by the suggestions and words of our parents and teachers, the people we have met, and the experiences we have gone through.
This explains why someone’s mind might be occupied with certain thoughts and another person’s mind occupied with other thoughts.
However, certain thoughts are common to most people, such as thoughts about family, work, love, anger or resentment.
Other common thoughts are fears and worries, which do not allow the mind to rest and enjoy peace, happiness, and freedom.
The Restless Mind in Action
- Events, situations, or words we hear affect the mind and produce thoughts according to them.
- The mind is like a thought factory, working in shifts, day and night, producing thoughts.
- It is like a busy marketplace full of noise and action.
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The mind also gets thoughts directly from the surrounding world. The space around us is full of thoughts, which we constantly pick, allow to pass through our minds, and then we pick new thoughts. It is like catching fish in the ocean, throwing them back into the water, and then catching new ones.
This activity of the restless mind occupies our attention all the time. Now, our attention is on this thought and then, a few seconds later, another one. We spend a lot of energy and attention on these passing thoughts, most of them being unimportant, wasting our time and energy.
Constant Thinking Means Lack of Freedom
If we cannot stop our thoughts, give our minds some rest, and control the flow of thoughts in our minds, we lack freedom. We are subjugated by the mind’s whims and allow thoughts to control us, our attention, and our lives.
- If we lack control over our thoughts, it is as if some outside power is always putting a thought in front of us, making us pay attention to it.
- It is like a relentless boss constantly giving us a job to do.
This automatic process of the mind prevents us from focusing on our work and goals. It prevents us from seeing opportunities and from improving our lives.
This automatic process of the mind keeps us tied in one place and does not allow us to experience new things.
You can Relax the Nonstop Activity of the Mind
With some training, we can calm down the mind’s activity.
When we can calm down or stop this restlessness of the mind, we expand our horizons and world. We step out of the past and are able to focus on the present.
Calming down the mind has great benefits. When your mind learns to be silent, you become more energetic and happy. Constant thinking is not a must.
You make better decisions and use your time more efficiently without this habit of the mind.
When do we enjoy real freedom and feel calm and happy?
Only when we can choose our thoughts or order the mind to be quiet.
We enjoy a sense of freedom, when we are able to decide which thought to think, and which one to reject.
We live in freedom when we can stop the constant flow of our thoughts.
Stopping the flow of thoughts might look like an infeasible feat, but concentration exercises and meditation can eventually lead to this condition.
Taming the Mind
The mind is like an untamed animal. It has to be taught self-discipline, obedience and focus. This will lead to control of the mind and of thoughts and to becoming the boss of your mind.
It is within your reach to calm the restless and constantly thinking mind and to enjoy inner peace.
The mind is restless, but you can calm it down. This will improve the quality of your life, help you focus your attention, stop worrying, and give you more control over your life.
To accomplish this goal, you need to train your mind. You can find all the necessary information in the book “Focus your attention” and “Calm Down the Nonstop Chatter of Your Mind“.
Image source – DepositPhotos
