This is a simple little technique for reconditioning your thoughts, or at least putting the process of thought into perspective. Call it a waking meditation if you like.

Make the decision to become aware of your thoughts, in real time. All day, for one day.

You will notice that your mind will go off on these great long flights of fancy that have fuck all to do with anything of use. This is not to say that all thought is useless, obviously not.

So what you do, is simply notice what little ride your mind is taking you on or has just taken you on, and ask yourself little questions to calibrate yourself, about the thoughts you have noticed. Such as:

1) Is this thought/story true and rational?
2) Does this thought/story serve me?
3) How is this thought/story affecting me?

You won’t be able to do it constantly nor should you stress yourself to try to do it constantly, but just try to catch yourself as often as you can during the day. It should not be a stressful controlling process, but the repetition of just noticing it and going through the process, is part of it.

What you will notice is your habitual patterns of thought, and how much mental energy you waste on things that either do not matter, or do not serve you. It gives you perspective.

The old adage is that you are not your thoughts, that thoughts should be an evolved skill that we turn on when appropriate rather than the never ending stream of consciousness that we all participate in.

PS