Fueling the Fire — or Not

Although we can’t control what we think about life’s ups and downs, we do have some say over where we invest our mental energy, where we focus our attention, the level of attachment we have to our thinking in the moment.  When we see the nature of thought rather than the content of thought, it gives us a level of objectivity, a distance that makes room for a different perspective.

 For example, before the holidays I sent an e-mail to a friend and colleague to summarize my thoughts on a contract I’d finished.  I followed it up with a phone call that went to voice mail.  At the beginning of this month, I still hadn’t heard from him. Of course, I started speculating as to why – and you know it didn’t have a positive spin.  I could actually feel my stomach drop as I’d pour energy into the scenario I was creating in my head.  Then I’d catch myself and back up.  I’d stop feeding the mental bonfire and it would go out.

 When people start to learn about the role and nature of thought, they catch on quickly to the idea that they are creating their experience of life in the moment via thought.  As they get more savvy, they see the connection between their thinking and their feeling.  And then they want to know what to do when they have thinking they don’t want.

To me, it’s helpful to think about choosing where to invest your personal energy.  Use whatever metaphor works for you – feeding the fire works for me.  I get a chuckle out of picturing myself frantically throwing logs on the fire or stepping away and letting it go out.  It’s not about thinking up a better scenario or coming up with a more hopeful perspective.  When we become less attached to the content of our thinking, our minds clear and we return to our innate well-being.  We feel ourselves filling up with the creative energy of life and the beautiful feeling of peace and hopefulness that’s our birthright.  We automatically renew our source of personal energy when we stop wasting it.