Join 600+ readers of The Confident You Newsletter for weekly tips & tricks on how to increase Self-Confidence and live a more fulfilling life.
they don’t teach you this in school
|
Here’s a distinction I wish they had taught me in school: The difference between a Thought and Thinking. Thought is a noun. It requires no energy to create. And is just whatever pops up in your mind. Thinking on the other hand, is a verb. It requires effort. It’s the act of engaging with your thoughts. Thinking drains your energy. Thoughts are inevitable, thinking is optional. A core concept of Buddhist Philosophy is: Thinking is the root cause of all suffering. Think about… (pun intended) Last time you were incredibly happy: How much thinking were you doing? My guess is not much… you were in the moment. And what emotions do you feel when you’re not thinking? Most likely peace, calm, neutrality… You get my point? Any negative emotion you ever have exists because you’re thinking (whether consciously or unconsciously). So how do you stop thinking? In the same way that you would stop holding on to something very heavy: You let go. You stop engaging with your thoughts. Instead you just observe without judgment. You let the snow globe settle. That’s when clarity and peace follows. Your mind isn’t a problem to solve, it’s a storm to weather. Your role isn’t to fight the storm but to remain grounded and calm as it passes. PS: What I’m reading: The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein PPS: Last week I filmed a new Youtube Video on how to create more meaning in your life. |
Alex Ostergaard
Join 600+ readers of The Confident You Newsletter for weekly tips & tricks on how to increase Self-Confidence and live a more fulfilling life.
Exhaustion isn’t weakness.It's a message.Your mind can ignore it.Your calendar can override it. But your body will always tell the truth. At first it whispers: fatigue, tension, headaches.Then it gets louder: insomnia, burnout, illness. And if you still don’t listen, it will scream. Because your body doesn’t care about your deadlines. It doesn’t care about your image.It doesn’t care about who you think you need to be. It cares about survival. For Sensitive High Achievers, this is the hardest...
I grew up believing that most of what I felt was down to other people. My Dad “made me feel insecure”. My boss “made me anxious”. That pushy salesperson “made me uncomfortable”. It’s such a normal way of talking that I never even questioned it. But here’s an uncomfortable truth: no one can make you feel anything. Not your boss. Not your partner. Not your parents. Every single feeling you experience is filtered through your own perspective. Through the meaning you assign to what happened....
You're stuck because you’re resisting what you feel.Most of us were never taught how to feel.We were taught how to perform.We learned to push emotions away.To hold it together.To stay strong.When sadness comes up, we call it weakness.When anger surfaces, we label it dangerous.When fear shows up, we try to control everything around us.But that constant suppression?It creates tension, overwhelm and the sense of being stuck in your own head.Eventually it turns into anxiety, numbness,...