Myth 8. Every thought is worthy of attention

It makes sense and is worth taking the time to study the content of any thought that arises in your mind or falls into the sphere of your attention.

Fact: you have many different channels, like cable TV, on which thoughts are simultaneously going through your mind. It is impossible to see all of them, and some of them are full of all sorts of uninteresting nonsense (like a TV store or a channel with local ads). Not all of them are worth spending time on. Imagine that you are listening to the radio, and suddenly something goes wrong, and instead of listening to one radio station, you hear two, three, five, or even ten at the same time. The same channel can transmit great music that you would like to listen to; the second can be a fascinating conversation. Other channels may broadcast boring news programs, songs you can’t stand, or stories you’ve heard many times before. You will not hesitate to tune your receiver to what you found interesting by switching from other channels.

In the same way, you have several channels of thought transmission in your mind. Most often, you choose what to focus on without making much effort. It’s just that some thoughts seem more interesting than others. However, when an obsessive thought arises (whatever its content), you may decide to focus on that thought, give it meaning, and give it the attention it doesn’t deserve. If you think that all thoughts are worth paying attention to, and that there are no useless channels in the mind. And then your attention may be absorbed in meaningless nonsense. This is especially true if you believe that obsessive thoughts are really important, or that you have received a certain message, sign, or warning. So you can get stuck, and the thought will repeat itself again and again, demanding attention.

The mind of any person is filled to the brim with meaningless thoughts that are not worth taking seriously. If you start to deal with such useless thoughts and admit that they do not matter, in time they will simply disappear.

Your attention may be absorbed by meaningless things.

Chapter seven explains how to stay focused on the natural flow of thought. We will show you how to worry less about obsessive thoughts, so that they fade into the background and stop drawing attention to themselves.

Restless voice: I’m trying to learn, but all I can think about is whether I should marry my boyfriend.

The voice of false Calm: You’ve only known each other for a few weeks. Don’t think about it. Now you need to learn. Restless voice: I’m well aware of this, but I think I should think about it, because I have a hunch that he’s going to propose.

Voice of false calm: Do you really think that means he’s going to propose?

Restless voice: In a way, perhaps. I’d better get ready, wouldn’t I? What if he did offer? I’d better get on with my studies. If I fail the exam, I may lose my scholarship.

Voice of false calm: Do you remember what you brought yourself to with your last boyfriend?

Restless voice: But this time it looks completely different. He seems to be serious.

Voice of Wisdom: Hey, you guys have both tuned in to a channel that broadcasts utter nonsense. Just because you have a thought about it in your mind doesn’t mean that you should pay so much attention to it. Just because someone throws you a ball doesn’t mean you have to catch it. These channels constantly bombard us with all sorts of nonsense.

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