3 minute read on thoughts, mindset and your 80-year-old self

Here is something to remind yourself, a quote that I loved and a question to ask yourself for this week…

Something to remind yourself…

Wisdom from Moojibaba: “You have nothing in this world to conquer, to challenge, or to transcend apart from your mind. All your neighbors live here, your enemies and friends live here. Your gods and demons live here, and your imagined self lives here. Stop trying to be a traffic policeman in your own head. Let it run. Just remain detached like you’re witnessing. The witness is never involved in this scene. That’s witnessing because the moment you become involved in the scene, you become part of the scene. The witness has to stand apart, just keep witnessing first your traffic, the mind stuff, and its daily chaos. “

 

I.

Being detached from your thoughts is life-changing. Why? Because your thoughts are not facts—they’re just mental chatter shaped by your past experiences, fears, and beliefs. Psychology shows we have around 60,000 thoughts a day, most of them repetitive and often negative. Imagine letting every one of those thoughts control you. Exhausting, right?

Detachment isn’t about controlling your thoughts, it’s about stopping them from controlling you. As someone who works with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), I often guide clients to step back and observe their thoughts without attaching meaning or reacting impulsively. It’s about recognizing, “Oh, there’s that thought again,” instead of thinking, “This means something about me,” or, “I need to act on this.” Just let it go.

Learn to challenge automatic negative thoughts and see them for what they are, just passing clouds in the sky of your mind. When you detach, you create space: space to decide which thoughts deserve your energy, to respond intentionally instead of reacting, and to reframe unhelpful narratives into ones that serve you.

II.

Next time you feel overwhelmed by a negative thought, try this: Pause for a moment and remind yourself, “This is just a thought, not a fact.” Label it for what it is: mental chatter, not reality. Then, step back and observe it, as if it’s a cloud drifting by or a car driving past. Let it come and go without holding onto it. Ask yourself, “Is this thought helpful? Is it even true?” Most of the time, the answer is no. Finally, shift your focus to something grounding like a deep breath, a task, or a positive affirmation like “I don’t have to believe everything I think.”
A quote that I loved…


Normalize talking highly about yourself.

Kelly for Happy Life Hacks


A question to ask yourself…

What advice would my 80-year-old self give me about a situation I’m struggling with right now?

 

Love,
Kelly

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