You are not your thoughts.
I am not my thoughts.
Meditating helps me remember this.
When I meditate, I watch my thoughts come and go, like clouds in the sky. I focus on my breath until I realize I’m not focusing on my breath—I realize I’m thinking a thought.
Then I drop the thought, like a leaf drops from a tree, and go back to my breath.
I’m breathing in.
I’m breathing out.
I wonder what I should make for dinner?
Oh wait. That’s a thought. Let it go.
I’m breathing in.
I’m breathing out.
I really should have started my Christmas shopping by now. I don’t want to do it last minute like I did last year—and the year before that—and the year before that. Why do I do things last minute?
Thought. Judgement. Thought.
Let it go.
I’m breathing in.
I’m breathing out.
My mind is like a puppy on a newspaper on the kitchen floor. I want to teach the puppy to use the newspaper, like I want to teach my mind to focus on my breath.
When the puppy strays from the newspaper, I walk over, pick her up, and put her back down on the newspaper.
I do not yell at the puppy, call the puppy names, or verbally berate the puppy for straying off the newspaper.
Why? Because none of these things will help the puppy stay on the newspaper. Only repeatedly, gently, putting the puppy back on the newspaper until she does her business will help the puppy learn to use the newspaper.
Similarly, berating myself, yelling, and calling myself names will not help me meditate. Only noticing that I’m thinking (judging, evaluating, comparing, etc.) and bringing my mind back to my breath will train my mind to stay with my breath.
When I stay with my breath, I am calm. I realize I am more than just my ego. My ego has lots of thoughts about what I should do, feel, and say. My ego thinks it knows what everyone else should do, feel, and say, too.
My deeper self knows that all these thoughts are not important. They are just stories I make up.
My deeper self knows the truth.
When I meditate, I know the truth.
Here’s the truth: All is well. I am loved. I have enough. I am enough. We are all enough.
Why not try meditating? Here are some resources for beginners.
Books
Meditation for Beginners, by Jack Kornfield (This book includes a CD with six meditation practices.)
Meditation: An In-Depth Guide, by Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, by Jon Kabat-Zin
Audiobooks:
Guided Mindfulness Meditation, by Jon Kabat-Zin
CDs:
Becoming The New Human: Creating Change Through The Power of Our Emotions, Audio CD of Guided Meditations by Evelyn Rysdyk and Allie Knowlton
Apps:
buddhify: Mindfulness and Meditation for Modern Life
Calm: Meditation Techniques for Stress Reduction
OMG. I Can Meditate! Meditation and Mindfulness
Stop, Breathe, & Think: Meditation and Mindfulness