How often do you find yourself focused in your mind, trying to figure something out? How often does your mind come up with truly helpful answers? Or, do you find yourself going around and around, stuck in programmed thinking and not getting anywhere?

Why do we think we have to think things out, rather than open to learning with our guidance?

Our thinking mind likes to hijack the thoughts that come through us from spirit. It likes to take credit for the intelligence of the universe that comes through us when we really want to know the truth.

Our limited programmed mind has no access to truth, but we can use our mind to open to truth. When we decide from our mind that we REALLY want to know the truth about something, our mind becomes open and receptive to the intelligence of spirit popping into our mind.

How often has a wonderful thought, truth or idea popped into your mind and you said something like, “I just thought of something!” The ‘I’ who believes you just thought of something is your ego wounded self who wants to take credit for the thought. Believing that the thought originated FROM your mind rather than THROUGH your mind reinforces the false belief that thinking about something from your limited mind will get you the answers. You believe it is better to think about it rather than opening to learning with spirit, and this leads to often getting stuck, going round and round in your mind.

If you start to pay attention to where the answers are really coming from, you will begin to distinguish the difference between the programmed thoughts that come from your mind, and the thoughts from your guidance that simply appear in your mind. I know that we have all had the experience of thoughts popping into our mind, but most people don’t recognize that their ego limited programmed wounded mind is not the source of these truths or ideas.

It is the narcissism of our ego wounded mind that wants to believe that it is really that smart!

The Trap of Thinking

I work with many clients who think and think and think—who are addicted to thinking—and who make themselves crazy with thinking and analyzing. “What if this happens”? “Why is this happening to me?” What if…? What about…? Why….?, on and on, and never getting answers because there is no intent to learn. True answers cannot pop into your mind when you are using your thinking mind to control rather than to learn.

The mind thinks that because it is asking questions, it is open to learning, but questions such ‘What if…?’ are not real questions. Usually, when you ask a question as a challenge, or about the future, you are not open to learning about what is true for you and what is in your highest good right now. If you are not asking questions like, “What is the truth?” or “What is in my highest good?” then you may be trying to control rather than learn. 

Distinguishing Between Mind and Spirit

It’s not hard to know when you are trying to use your mind to control, rather than to learn, because if you tune into your feelings in Step One of Inner Bonding, you will discover that you are tense. When people I am working with are using their mind to control rather than to learn, I can feel the tension within them. Your inner child feels very alone and abandoned when you are using your mind to think rather than to learn.

Often I will say to a client when they are stuck in thinking to control, “Tune inside. What are feeling right now?” Invariably they say “anxious” or “tense.” But they think they are feeling anxious or tense because of not solving the problem they are thinking about, rather than because they are trying to control with thinking!

Staying tuned in to your feelings in Step One of Inner Bonding will let you know whether you are thinking to control, or open to learning.

Join Dr. Margaret Paul for her 30-Day at-home Course: "Love Yourself: An Inner Bonding Experience to Heal Anxiety, Depression, Shame, Addictions and Relationships."

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