What if, you are safe and you always have been safe.
Could it be your monkey mind that has made you feel unsafe?
Whatever we think . . . we’re right!
If we believe our mind is an ally, it will be our ally. If we believe our mind is the enemy, it will be our enemy.
An overactive mind, is like an overactive immune system response . . . it can slowly kill the host.
We become frustrated with our monkey mind when it distracts us, interferes with our conscious choice making and steals our joy. Resisting our monkey mind, will simply guaranty that will persist, because what we resist, always persists. However, by understanding, conditioning and redirecting the monkey mind, we can reduce fear and anxiety and consciously choose our purpose for the present moment.
. . . simple steps, help condition our mind to rest and redirect our mind toward tasks that serve us.
What is the monkey mind, in a Banana-Peel(a.k.a. “a Nutshell”):
Our monkey mind (also known as, our survival instinct and sometimes referred to as our ego):
is responsible for maintaining the survival of the human species.
causes us to feel fear when the monkey mind perceives a threat.
fortunately, warns us of threats that are actually real at the moment, that is, threats in-fact.
unfortunately, warns us of fictional threats (most negative thoughts, perceived as real events now, by the monkey mind).
unfortunately, cannot tell the difference between (a) what is really happening now, such as information it receives from our senses, and (b) what we are imagining.
unfortunately, can cause us to feel unsafe on a regular basis, keeping us up at night, causing anxiety, etc., if we imagine a threatening past event or expected future threat, on a regular basis.
So when we feel scared or anxious, without any threat that is real at that moment, that scared or anxious feeling is likely caused by a fictional threat that the monkey mind, perceives as real now. Thus, when that happens, we want to communicate with our monkey minds and let it know that we appreciate its efforts, but that we are safe, for example we can think, “Thank you monkey mind, but I am safe.”
“Thank you monkey mind, but I am safe.”
Gratitude is the Music that Calms the Monkey Mind.
Now for those who want more than just the “Banana Peel” and want to dig deep, below you will find additional information and a process that will help reduce the chitter-chatter of the monkey.
It does no good to resist, so instead of resisting the mind, befriend it, embrace it, nurture it and use it as a tool that creates.
The Mind Is Like an Artist.
Like an artist with a paintbrush, our mind is a creator and a tool, that can be used to create thoughts and manifest our intentions and desires.
All inventions and all that we have and love, we have brought into this life, using this gift, this miraculous tool, that is, our mind.
A paintbrush is limited by the artist that uses it, and the paints and surface it is provided.
If the artist is provided with a full palate of brilliant, vibrant colors and unlimited surfaces to choose from, the results will be much different than, if the artist is provided mostly brown paint and a spiky, sharp, metal surface.
Similarly, what our minds create and manifest, depend upon what we provide or feed it.
Feed Your Mind Well.
We have the ability to feed our minds with a palate of life, filled with colorful affirmations, fun, beauty and impressions that feel good.
On the other hand, we could feed our minds with a palate of dark horror, drama and the negative in life.
What we feed our minds determines the resulting picture of life that we hold and the creations that we manifestation.
Redirect Versus Calm.
We would not want an artist to be nearly motionless, a.k.a. calm, because that would significantly limit the artist’s ability to create. Similarly, we don’t want our minds to be nearly motionless all of the time, because that limits the mind’s ability to create and manifest our intentions and desires.
Like an overactive child does not need fixing, similarly, our minds don’t need to be “fixed!” Instead, our minds need to be:
acknowledged and accepted,
nurtured and cared for,
appreciated and loved,
validated and celebrated, and
most importantly, our minds need reassurance that we are safe.
most importantly . . . our minds need reassurance that we are safe.
When our mind will not quiet down, that is our mind’s way of getting our attention. If our mind causes us to experience pain, like feelings of anxiety, that is our mind’s way of encouraging us to take a closer look at something.
Often it can be very challenging to quiet the chitter-chatter of our monkey mind. These simple steps, help condition our mind to rest and redirect our mind toward tasks that serve us, reduce fear and anxiety, help insomnia caused by the mind and help us to easily and consciously choose our purpose for this moment.
Recognize. Awareness is always the first step to change. So become aware of what the mind is doing.
Observe (versus Judging). Don’t resist or judge your thoughts. Eliminate categorizing your thoughts as right or wrong, good or bad, ones you agree with or disagree with. Instead observe your thoughts, for what they are, thoughts.
Acknowledge; Validate. Your monkey mind will quiet down once you acknowledge and validate its thoughts. By validating, you do not necessarily need to agree with or verify the accuracy of the thoughts. Just let your mind know that you understand and that it’s o.k. to be thinking that way.
Redirect. Similar to how you would redirect a child, compassionately steer your mind’s focus to something positive and calming, by, essentially, giving it something else to work on.
Question Thoughts. While in this state, question (but don’t invalidate) your thoughts and why those thoughts may be arising. Question, why the thought may have come up. What is your mind trying tell you to look at or do, and why? Is the thought based upon a limiting belief ? If so, is it necessarily true? Ask your mind what it needs in order to settle down to a resting state, a state of calm, then listen.
Meditate. Guided meditations can be helpful with the process of conditioning your mind to rest and redirecting your mind toward tasks that serve you.
Play “I Spy Something I Like.” If meditation is not an option at the time, do the “I Spy Something I Like,” game. Simply look around and point out what you like and say (to yourself or aloud), “I spy something I like and [describe what it is].”
Feed your mind well. What your mind will create and manifest for you, will be consistent with what it is fed. So take care in what you feed your mind. Know that what you put in, influences what it will create for you. For example, don’t feed it horror and unrest, if you want it to create peace and harmony for you; don’t feed it lack, if you want it to create abundance for you, etc.
Don’t force it. Trying to force your mind to be in the present moment, is like trying to force a wild monkey to be tame. The greater the force that is applied, the further away from being in present moment the mind will go. Like the monkey, the mind first must be put at ease, so it turns-off its survival instincts. Only in this state of ease and surrender, will the mind be in the present moment.
Gratitude. There is nothing wrong or bad about our monkey minds. It does not have bad intentions and is not trying to sabotage. Our monkey mind is trying to protect us in the only way it knows how. When you are grateful for your monkey mind, you move into the state of gratitude.
While music calms the savage beast, gratitude calms the Monkey Mind.
Accepting, and surrendering to, our Monkey Mind, is not “giving up,” or “giving in,” instead it is _________________.
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