Thoughts Are Magical

We don’t need to be afraid- Guest Prompt Sujona Chatterjee

“We are not our thoughts.”

When I was searching for an image on Pixabay I came across this absolute gem of a picture to go with this fabulous prompt by Sujona Chatterjee. When I saw the image I immediately realized how thoughts are like cars on a highway- they come and go.

They do not define us, nor do they need to confine us.

Our thoughts are merely an ever-changing decoration within us. They are powerful and magical, but we don’t need to fear them.

Yesterday I built up the courage to write about a terrifying car accident I was involved in from my past. It felt good to finally write about it- I had been wanting to for so long, as a step on part of my healing journey.

It is easy to let your thoughts overwhelm you though.

Our thoughts form patterns that we become familiar with, and it can take a great deal of effort and work to shift them.

My thoughts often held me back in areas of my life- they triggered feelings of being scared to be seen. Unworthy to be heard and most detrimentally my thoughts in many ways denied me from being myself in the past.

In the past, I did believe I was my thoughts in many ways. And that's why they had so much power over me.

An intrusive thought is an unwelcome, involuntary thought, image, or unpleasant idea — ( Source)

Intrusive thoughts can be highly disturbing and distressing. It can become second nature to judge yourself harshly for having them too. Though this doesn’t do any one any good, because by the very nature of intrusive thoughts these are the thoughts we can’t control. They are involuntary.

What makes them worse is when we obsess over them. I remember looking back becoming stuck in cycles of thoughts, obsessing over the desire to control them. Believing wholeheartedly there was something disturbingly wrong with me.

Though something I learned about my thoughts, intrusive and otherwise was that they are a lot easier to deal with- when instead of fear, I allow myself to become curious about them.

There are a lot of thoughts we have that are not intrusive, so it serves us well to put effort and positivity in the thoughts we can control rather than the ones we can’t.

When we understand everyone struggles with intrusive and difficult thoughts at points throughout their lives, and we learn more about them- we don’t need to be fearful and therefore define ourselves by them.

What gives them power is that those who experience them become worried about their significance. People may fixate on them and become ashamed, intent on keeping them secret from others. — (Source)

That is why I loved the article by Keri Mangis- https://readmedium.com/an-open-letter-to-my-fellow-private-people-c2c39306ac85 so much the other day and felt inspired by it in many ways to unhide myself even more.

Shame, guilt, fear and a number of other emotions can be felt by us when we allow our thoughts to have control over us.

We would all struggle a little less if we shared more of ourselves. More of our truths, stories, and struggles. More of our thoughts.

After all, having thoughts is a beautiful part of being human.

Now if I am struggling with an intrusive thought or negative thoughts flood my mind, I don’t add that extra layer of difficulty. By trying to define myself as being them or by punishing myself for thinking them.

When I surrender like this they pass in and out more quickly and with greater ease.

Our thoughts often gift us with brilliant ideas, inspirational concepts, and wonderful imaginings.

When we face the difficult ones we build ourselves up to be more resilient and there also lies an opportunity to be kinder, and more gentle to ourselves.

Our thoughts are creative expressions of us but they don’t need to define or confine us. We can release the need to judge ourselves for having them too as bad or good, wrong or right.

Just remember, you are not your thoughts. But the way you deal with your difficult thoughts and create positive light-filled ones can have a powerful impact on your life.

It has so far in mine.

Thanks for reading 💕🥰

Thank you Sujona Chatterjee for this wonderful prompt ❤🙏 and Thank you to Diana C. for creating the wonderful guest prompts where we can share our thoughts ❤🙏😊