Where do your thoughts come from?

One specific technique I’ve learned from my coach Bruce is really simple and very powerful: Simply notice where your thoughts come from.

First, quiet your mind and body by closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Think of something that happened in your childhood, and notice where the thought appears. Physically, in your brain.

Now think of something that’s going to happen in the future. Your daughter’s first day of school, or something else big and far into the future. Notice where that thought appears.

Think of what others might say if you did something that would upset someone, and notice where that thought or voice comes from.

Now pay attention to your heart. Notice how that feels.

If you can actually feel it, it’s very powerful. It may take some practice. The sensation may be quite weak. It may require that you meditate first to really quiet your mind.

For me, it was quite clear where the different thoughts came from, and it came in handy last week when I wanted to get better at trusting my intuition and ignoring useless worry about what other people might think or say.

It turns out that my intuition comes from my heart, and the concerns over what other people might think sit smack in the middle of my right ear. So it’s as simple as listening to my heart and ignoring the voice in the right ear.

No need to make things more complicated when they really aren’t. :)