OK. I want you to stop thinking of something. Don’t worry, it is not something that really matters to you, or something that you need to think about.
I want you to stop thinking of …..
a CAMEL.
What!! You thought of a camel, didn’t you?!!
Why did you think of a camel even if you were not supposed to? Why do you not even have the control to not think of a bloody camel? If you cannot stop yourself from thinking this unimportant thought, how could you ever control the thoughts that really matter?? Where is your discipline? Your power of control? You are indeed a useless piece of crap!!! You will never get anywhere in life.
To this, you might easily respond with:
“WHOA!! Wait a second there! Let’s not make a big deal out of it. The more attention I pay to a word ‘camel’, the more clearer, sharper, stronger it is going to get in my mind!! That’s common sense! Nothing to do with discipline or self-control!”
If I say “But a camel was an unnecessary thought!!! You should rather have thought of a startup idea, or a thought about your life purpose, or your yearly life goals. Let me offer you strategies to improve your discipline and power of control to not think of ‘camels’..”,you might shoo me away saying:
“Come on man! Why make a big deal of camels!! Even if I do think of it, nothing breaks!! It’s just a thought!! But the more I try to NOT think of it, I am sure the more I will think of it!”
It makes absolute sense. And yet, when it comes to negative thoughts, we suddenly go crazy!! We start looking for strategies and techniques to STOP them. And as expected, they become worse. And we feel surprised!
How is a negative thought any different from the thought of a camel or a refrigerator or a positive thought? They are all just thoughts!! And the more you are going to try not to think of them, the stronger they will get.
Most importantly, when they do pop in uninvited, knowing that “it is just a thought” makes you not resist it.
It comes in…it fades away. Done!
P.S. But if you want, I can sell you some seminars, strategies, courses on ‘How to stop negative thoughts’ It is an unsolvable problem, and hence a great way to make money! Please let me know if you are interested.
