Are you a collection of labels you have gained over the years, perhaps labels laid upon you by someone else, a parent, a relative, a friend even an employer.
As humans we forget we were born with nothing…not even a name, as we grow older we acquire labels, things that are given to us by others or something we have learned or something we have become…stick with it, hopefully it will make sense.
This post is a summary of a recent Mindset Mentor podcast by Rob Dial, you can listen to it here. Rob starts this podcast recalling a story he once heard, It’s about a bird flying through the sky, feeling free and graceful. One day, the bird spots a beautiful lake below and decides to land. The water is calm, peaceful, and inviting, and the bird finds it so soothing that it stays a bit longer than intended. Eventually, the bird stays so long it forgets it can forgets it can fly and starts to identify with the water, thinking it’s just part of the lake. When the water gets choppy, the bird struggles and fears it might drown, trying to control the state of the lake instead of remembering that it could just fly away at any time.
This story is a metaphor for the human condition, which is our tendency to try to control things we can’t, whether it’s our circumstances or our inner thoughts. We often forget that we are the observer behind our thoughts, not the thoughts themselves. For example, try this: silently think the word “happiness.” Now, who said it? Who heard it? You said it in your head, but did you also hear it? This shows that you are the consciousness behind your thoughts, and the silent observer.
When we are born, we have no labels, no identity. We’re not a mother, a wife, or a worker. These are things we pick up along the way. We forget that we are more than our thoughts, our names, or the roles we play. Just like the bird is not the water, we are not our minds. Yet, we often get so caught up in our thoughts, emotions, and labels that we think that is who we are. But we are the consciousness behind it all, the silent witness.
We struggle when our minds get loud and chaotic, like the bird struggling in choppy waters. We try to control our thoughts, but it’s like trying to smooth out water with an iron. You can’t force your mind to be silent. The best thing you can do is to let it be. Just as the bird can fly away from the lake, we can distance ourselves from our thoughts. Instead of fighting the mind, let the thoughts come and go. When we stop resisting, the mind naturally calms down.
The natural state of your mind is calm, like a quiet lake. Sure, storms happen, and life gets messy, but just like a hurricane, those storms will pass. When you accept your thoughts and emotions as they are, without trying to control them, they lose their power over you. The next time your mind feels like a storm, just step back and breathe. Allow the thoughts and feelings to be there, and they’ll eventually pass, just like clouds drifting away.
So, remember: You are not your thoughts. You can fly away anytime you choose.
This really was a brief summary of the Mindset Mentor podcast, make sure you listen to the full 17 minutes <<LISTEN NOW>>
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