How to Kill The Demons of Your Mind

by Bamboo Forest

Believing your thoughts and having attachment to them are the two poisons of the mind. Poisons that can drive you mad.

Thoughts You Shouldn’t Believe

I used to be superstitious. For example, if I was having a thought while noticing something–I believed it was a heavenly sign. Through experience, I’ve realized that assuming anything’s a sign can actually get you off track.

Far better to use your intellect when making decisions. Let your intellect, not coincidences, be your guide. More times than not, this will lead you in the supreme direction.

Similar to the example above, have you ever had a feeling that something bad was going to happen?

Those times you did, how many times has your feeling proved correct? See what I’m talking about?

Your intellect is your best ally, so use it.

Another thought you shouldn’t believe is that past experiences influence the future.

It’s known that when an athlete performs well, it leads to more success. Yet when he’s had a couple of bad games in succession, he finds it difficult to return to his previous level of performance. As long as he allows the past experiences to influence his belief about his potential in the present, he’s choosing to disadvantage himself.

“Once accepted, our beliefs become unquestioned commands to our nervous systems, and they have the power to expand or destroy the possibilities of our present and future.” ~Anthony Robbins

Be careful what you believe regarding what you’re capable of. Whatever it is you believe will influence what you’re actually able to do.

Best to believe that you can do whatever you want, right now.

Avoid Attachment to Your Thoughts

What causes suffering, negative thoughts or attachment to those thoughts?

Potentially both.

However, if you can develop the ability of having negative thoughts without being emotionally swayed by them–that’s better than needing to control every thought to maintain emotional equilibrium. Even better, develop the disposition to being unattached to your thoughts while also exercising control over the mind. That’s the most superior state of all.

Attachment to thoughts becomes extremely toxic with thoughts like, “I can’t be happy, because of this or that.” Or… “I will never be successful, because of this or that.”

Being attached to your perceptions is a one way ticket to hell. And you know… I don’t like hell much.

So, permit yourself to seeing things a certain way without emotionally clinging to those perceptions. You’re above them.

It’s unnecessary for your negative perceptions to compromise your happiness. And doubt your negative perceptions whenever you can. Most often and arguably always, our state of unhappiness is not the result of seeing things truly as they are, but seeing things through lenses we’ve created ourselves.

At any stage in your development you can exercise control over your thoughts. I’ve found, though, that developing non-attachment to thoughts gradually occurs with the practice of meditation. Non-attachment to thoughts makes you lighter and better able to handle and enjoy life. A disciplined practice of yoga can also help with this.

The following parable demonstrates what I mean regarding non-attachment to thoughts:

You ask your dream date out and they say ‘yes’, so you’re ecstatic. Moments later, you’re walking home and someone accidentally bumps into you. You notice it, but it doesn’t affect you.

Next week, you’re fired from your job, so you’re upset. Moments later, you’re walking home and someone accidentally bumps into you. This time you respond with deep frustration.

In the former example, the person bumping into you didn’t compromise your happiness. In the latter, the person bumping into you caused you frustration.

Our thoughts can be likened to people bumping into us. With non-attachment, our state of happiness isn’t compromised no matter how many people bump into us.

You need not be a slave to your mind. Instead, be free.

Bamboo Forest is a professional Email Life Coach and the founder of Tick Tock Timer.

Photo by zenobia_joy

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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

Cath June 6, 2010 at 4:19 pm

This is a very inspiring perspective, we shouldn’t linger on negativity especially if it makes us frustrated emotionally. I particularly love your sentence of “Don’t be slave to mind, be free”. Thanks, Bamboo.

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Bamboo Forest June 7, 2010 at 12:16 am

@ Cath: We must linger on that which moves us forward and closer to our dreams. Thank you for your comment.

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Cath June 13, 2010 at 2:42 am

Yea…That’s right

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Annie April 12, 2016 at 6:32 pm

Yes I agree….

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heather March 18, 2011 at 1:01 pm

I really needed to hear the part about trusting our intellect more than coincidences. I do believe in signs, but I believe they come when we most need them and when we’re not looking for them. I’ve found myself searching for signs to the point of obsession and even getting depressed because I don’t see the signs I used to see.

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Peter May 26, 2011 at 9:31 pm

I really liked this perspective, especially the part about past experiences affecting our present. I made many mistakes in the past and now i can’t move on with my life… I wish i could just stop being attached to my thoughts, but it’s not that easy…

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Annie April 12, 2016 at 6:31 pm

I want to scream and Jump around…Freedom..liberation at Last…Thank God I feel upon this most valuable information. It is like a night cap a miracle pill…yes a different perspective which is so needed in my life..tes a new approach with a higher standard of expectation as I stop being attached to the image I have accepted about myself influence greatly by others….opinions spoken over my life are the little imps speaking on the microphone in my head. Absolutely the truth I will continue to detach myself everyday and speak hope fath and love…Victory

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