Listen

Who are you talking to?

Have you ever wondered what exactly is going on in your mind during the day? Have you ever stopped to listen to yourself and the chatter that is going on inside your mind? 

Mind chatter is almost constant, especially when we are working or doing other mundane tasks.  Our minds are not always on what we are doing.  Sometimes we are a million miles away while other times we are stressed and fixated on a particular issues that has been bothering us.

Most people do not even notice their mind chatter. They go throughout their day and barely notice their own thoughts, much less the conversations that are going on between themselves and, well Themselves. But, if we would all take the time to slow down and really listen to what we are thinking, we would be amazed at all that really goes on in our minds every day.

Why pay attention to our thoughts?

Knowing what you are thinking and why you are thinking it is key to understanding not only who you are but why you are feeling a particular way.  Once you become accustomed to getting to know Yourself through your own thoughts you will be quick to point out thoughts that should not be in your mind as well as ineffective thought processes that do you no good.

When I was first recognizing that my Spirit Guide was a part of Me (everyone's Spirit Guide is in fact merged with them and a part of them), I became suddenly "aware" of every thought in my head.  Before that time, I had been like everyone else, oblivious to most of the thoughts passing through my conscious mind. 

One of my favorite memories of this realization is when I recognized my thoughts and realized that not all of them were coming only from my conscious mind.  Those thoughts are the quiet whispers that so often go unheard through the hustle and bustle of daily life.  They are the thoughts that echo in our minds as we wake in the morning and shake off a night of dreams.  They are thoughts that filter through our subconscious and make a mark upon our waking minds...and I heard them for the first time!

The exact moment I realized how not alone I was just happened to be in the bathroom, probably the most private place a person can be.  I thought to myself, "I wonder if they hear me pee?" and I heard, "Yes if you want me too." I nearly fell off the toilet seat and immediately covered myself and heard a light chuckled. 

How shocked I was! But most of all, I was embarrassed! Why? Because all of a sudden I was aware that I was not alone!  I was aware that at every moment there is an observer of my life learning through my experiences and helping me (or hindering me) through this life.  

I know it sounds funny, but I became slightly paranoid from the experience.  I began to feel a huge amount of guilt for being human, for thinking those "bad" thoughts that my Mom always use to tell me only God could hear.  Well she didn't tell me God would respond! Of course, He normally doesn't and I don't have any reason to feel guilty or embarrassed, but at that time I had to confront the fact that I was not alone and it was a very, very difficult thing to do.

So another wonderful benefit of knowing what is going on inside your complex mind is being able to detect the subtle messages coming from your Self - your Spirit Guide, your Companion, God.

So how can you stop the mind chatter? How can you begin to hear the voices that are not necessarily your own?

Listen.

It is simple but it isn't.  It is easy to listen when there is no one around except you.  It is not so easy to listen when you are at work, taking care of kids, or running errands.  The key is to listen when you can at first and learn to "tune" in to your own thoughts.  Talk to yourself.  Listen to the response you get.  The more you practice listening, the more you will hear.

Meditation, of course, is a great way to practice "listening".  The type of meditation that I suggest, however, is not a typical meditation where you quiet your mind and sit in silence.  I know very few people who are able to quiet their mind without tons of practice.  What I suggest is a meditation where you take a thought and let it run its course and listen. Pay attention to how the thoughts that come to you make you feel.  Pay attention to the positive ones and the negative ones. All this listening will not only help you recognize how your mind works, but will also help you stop negative thoughts and increase positive ones.  Pay especially close attention if you find yourself asking questions and getting answers. 

Not everyone will feel 100% sure of what they are doing when they try this and that is okay.  Everyone is different.  All I ask is that you spend some time inside your mind listening to it.  It is beneficial no matter how you look at it.