Why stop thinking?

At a recent workshop for managers looking to reduce their stress levels, I was discussing meditation. People often jump to the conclusion that meditation is an attempt to stop thinking. This was reflected in the question that came from one of the participants. He asked: why would anyone want to stop thinking? This is an interesting question which reflects the mindset of a person who is identified with their thoughts. Our thoughts can create a separate mental reality in our minds that distract us from the experiences available all around us. 

Here are some reasons to take thinking breaks. Imagine yourself out in nature. Maybe you’re by the sea or maybe you’re up in the mountains, in the forest, maybe by Lakeside. Despite the beauty of your surroundings, your mind is working through problems, thinking about situations at your office or at home or worrying about the future. How much are you enjoying the beautiful setting that you are in? Is thinking benefiting you in this situation? Or imagine you are with a group of friends you haven’t seen in some time. There’s a conversation going on and the people you are with are reminiscing. They are laughing and having an interesting time discussing experiences and catching up on or sharing the events of each other‘s lives. Suddenly someone notices that you have been silent. One of them asks why you are so quiet? You notice that your mind has been elsewhere. Maybe you were thinking about the problems from your work. It could be that your mind has been focused on the events of the past week or worries about what’s going to happen next week. You are not really present with people you rarely see despite wanting to spend more time with them. The time that you have you spent thinking about something other than what is in the present moment. Now can you see why it would be desirable to think less? Or at least to have more control over what you were thinking about?

We cannot stop thinking. It is an involuntary function of our brain but between thoughts, there is always a space. If we can focus on that space we can gain a reprieve from the negative thoughts that plague us. We can also choose what we focus on and become the observer of our thoughts. Many thoughts are offered to us and we choose which neural pathway to follow. With awareness of your thinking processes, you can choose which path of thoughts to follow. You can also choose to focus on the present, on the past or on the future. The goal is to be in control of your thoughts rather than having your thoughts control you. Like riding a horse you can let it run away with you or you can pull back the bridal and guide it left or right or even to stop.

Besides simply relieving ourselves of excessive stressful thinking, our ability to control and guide our thoughts is such a fundamental part of creating happiness in our lives. So why would you want to stop thinking? To appreciate the spaces between thought and be aware of the present moment. This is where the real you resides. This is the space where you can gain or regain control of your mind and the direction your thoughts will take you. You can choose whether these thoughts will lead you to happiness.