Dealing with troubling thoughts

As human beings, we are exceptionally capable of finding the faults or mistakes of other people. However, when it comes to ourselves, that capability seems to vanish. Sometimes, we even do the same things we criticize others for doing. Hence, the word hypocrisy exists.

Our elevated positioning of the self – or ego – might be the culprit here. We don’t want to be wrong or be lesser than anyone else. Irrationality, like the one described above, aids the fulfilment of such desire. 

When we look at thoughts that bother us, most aren’t rational. They stem from events that we cannot control (what other people think, what if XYZ happens in the future), or negative emotions like anger, jealousy, and possessiveness. This voice is within the confinement of ego as it resides within us, hence our judgement is impaired- although you don’t want to be angry or jealous, your thoughts make you that. But, we’re not powerless to our thoughts.

Simply writing our thoughts down on a piece of paper/screen makes a big difference. Don’t filter anything – let your hands flow by writing whatever comes to your mind. This way, you get clarity over your thoughts by knowing exactly what is going on. Moreover, it grants you a third-person perspective- now, you’re evaluating things outside of your self, outside the entanglement of ego. You view them more rationally and sensibly, allowing you to form better decisions to deal with them. When I do this, I often conclude that the bothering thought was stupid, and shouldn’t be given any more attention. 

The best way to deal with anything lingering inside your mind is by taking it outside, to a paper or a friend.