Question your Assumptions
I cannot answer the question where my thoughts come from. Yet, I believe so many things that come as thoughts with no further proof.
I need to work hard to earn money. Aliens don't exist. I am not a good writer. AI is going make my job obsolete. I will only be happy when... (I don't believe all of them ;))
Also, what I noticed is that I am thinking so many similar thoughts.
What am I going to eat? I have about 5 dishes to choose from.
How can I make more money? 3 Options that usually come to my mind.
When I look at these things with some distance or think this is my friends thinking process then I would say it's pretty limited. There is an infinite amount of different dishes I could make. There is equally as many ways to make money.
But when I think about it more consciously, I act based on my automatic thoughts a lot. Even getting the idea of writing this was a thought that came to my head this morning and now I am putting it into writing. Actually, it doesn't feel like I have agency over this.
This thought came from nowhere and it created a feeling in my body that was pleasant. And in the same way that a monkey sees a banana and wants to eat it, I am following this nice feeling that the thought gave me.
When I look deeper, I notice how much of my thoughts are influenced by what I consume. YouTube videos, from last night. Conversations with my partner. Books I am reading right now. The place that I live right now and even the fact that it is winter.
All of that changes my thoughts. All of that changes my actions.
There is a great quote from Lao Tzu:
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
But how do you watch your thoughts?
I question my assumptions. Examine my thoughts and look at them from different angles than I am used to.
Just taking the following statement, that I heared from a client recently and catch it in my mind (might be my german heritage).
I need to work hard to earn money.
In this statement there are a lot of assumptions and even suggestions between the words.
- There is the connection between the words work and hard. Suggesting that work is unpleasant and negative.
- "I need to" is already an expression of necessity and could imply survival. If I don't, then something bad will happen. I might lose my home or even die.
- Hard Work = Money. That's fundamentally wrong. There is a lot of people that work their ass off in multiple jobs and barely survive month-to-month. Whereas others invested a couple thousand euros into Bitcoin in 2010 and just waited. Not really hard work.
Just looking at such a simple statement can reveal a lot.
Now is also a great moment to check out "the work" by Byron Katie. She is not just questioning your assumptions but the thoughts itself. Simple but powerful.
My intention with writing this, is that you, thoughtful reader, question everything that comes into your mind.
Even, or especially, this article. Non of this is truth. It is my perspective and thoughts that came into my mind from somewhere, after I consumed specific content and my life experience.
Side note: I recently read the saying:
When you assume (anything) you are making an “ass out of u & me.
What thoughts come to your mind now?
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