When I allow thoughts to arrive unnoticed, my mind can build them into little stories in my head that I often consider to be true. These stories are usually ways of perceiving my role a situation, that could be approached in numerous other and much less distressing ways.
It can create a story of us starring as a victim in the story, or the baddy in the story, or the hero who will rescue everyone. When we realise that we are building a story, this act of noticing is very powerful. It allows us to have the choice of stepping out of the story completely back to a more balanced place of peace.
If I don’t catch that first thought with the ‘drop it and trust’ it’s often followed by a further thought which gives birth to another and then another and another. Accompanying fear, anger or sadness reactions travelling with the thoughts act as extra stickiness for birthing further thoughts. Then the body physiology can get easily activated making the whole story seem even more real.
I think of it as building a little stickman in my head. The first thought is one leg, the second thought is the next leg, then the next thought is it’s body, and another might be an arm and so on. When I notice that I’ve started building a stickman I can choose to just stop at any point and collapse him instantly, into a little heap. No further discussion or analyses required. Poof, gone!
Learning to Rest with it All 