If we were not so easily seduced by our thoughts, we would probably feel more aligned with our actions; whatever we were doing in each moment would be exactly what we thought we should be doing. We would see that sometimes things feel good and sometimes they do not, but we would not have to contend with a bossy inner voice telling us that what we do is wrong.
Notice how frequently your thoughts insinuate that there is something you should be doing that you are not. Instead of assuming you should obey these feelings, affirm for yourself the absolute reality of your actions, past and present. Observe your body in the space it is occupying now, and really validate how undeniable it is that you are physically there (head to toe), doing what you are doing, no matter how upsetting or inappropriate it may feel. See your hands, your arms, your torso, your legs, your feet, and then touch your face to know that your body is the activity you are engaged in. I am reemphasizing here that action is about physics and not character; it is not personal. It just is. With regard to our own actions that frighten and confuse us, it seems that we are not privy to why we must do them, or why we must be who we are in the world.
Above is an excerpt from my first book “Body Over Mind: a mindful reality check.”
Jill Eng 