KC#002 - 3 types of thoughts - which ones rob the peace of mind!
In order to have control over your own thinking, learn what are the various type of thoughts that keep your mind occupied.
Someone has rightly said – “What consumes your mind, controls your life.”
Our thoughts act like a (mental) steering wheel for our physical car (aka body). Tires move where the steering wheel turns. And they do not have any personal choice. We act the way our mind directs us. We have no control. Though ideally, it should be vice-versa. We should have control over what we “want” to think and what we want to do.
And let me tell you that's possible too.
You can control your thoughts!
You have the power, but in order to use that power effectively you must first understand what types of thoughts are there - which ones are helpful and which ones are not.
This small exercise should help 👇
Bring your focus to the thoughts that you have right now for at least a minute or so.
(Continue reading when you are done! )
What were your thoughts?
It is possible that your thoughts were limited to the instruction that I gave. You might have had conscious, controlled thoughts. You, also, might be conscious of what you were looking at or what you were hearing when I told you to do this small activity.
Now, let's get back to thinking! Think for a full 2-3 minutes this time.
The same thing might have happened again. You might have become conscious of what you were thinking. But after some time, some random thoughts might have sneaked in. Thoughts from anywhere and everywhere. No grounds, no needs. They may have looked like the backward paths of the original thoughts. But sometimes, they are, and sometimes not. They just pop-up.
You have no control over them. They are powerful enough to take you forward or backward in time.
The first type of thoughts you had were the enforced ones. You enforced them because you wanted to think as instructed. Simultaneously, you controlled anything outside the limits of instructions.
These are not bad or good. They are as they are.
Such thoughts are usually purposeful. They come to mind when we want to think and come to conclusions. Like in your day-to-day work when you have to take decisions, make a presentation, decide on a dinner menu, etc.
The second type of thoughts, which came uninvited, were the automatic ones. They are like pop-ups, appearing anytime without need and without permission.
They sometimes give a newer perspective to the enforced thoughts but are not always helpful. They are mostly intrusive and distracting. We all have experience with such thoughts. They seem to be there all the time. Even in dreams.
There is also a third type.
Before we get to that one, let me define the first two to completion.
The enforced ones seem to be more in control. These are the ones that we want. We should have control over what we think and when to become blank or be at rest.
The automatic ones are the intrusive pop-ups that nobody wants. They are the ones which keep the mind filled all the time. There seems to be no need for these. But these are the ones that make our minds feel useful. These are the ones that make us feel more human, and not mechanical. It shows the self-manifesting power of human mind.
Then suddenly there are those thoughts that seem to explain something. You never plan them, they are not distracting either. They are like revelations. They give us a sense of deep realization. They appear as pop-ups, but they are helpful, just like the enforced ones. They give answers to the mysteries of the Universe.
Call them discovery thoughts! They help discover truths about life, the world, and a lot more. Each of us must have had them at least once in our life. In fact, these are the most desired ones.
Our deepest desire is to just switch from enforced to discovery settings and back and forth whenever and wherever we please. And that’s called exercising control over your mind!
The third type appears when the mind is most sorted, which is rare in the humdrum of life, but still happens.
That’s it! These 3 are what keeps your mind occupied all the time.
All 3 of them appear either as visuals or voices or as sensations in our body. But that’s “how” they appear.
To sum it up, we experience 3 types of thoughts –
Enforced thoughts - These are thoughts created in order to solve a specific problem at hand.
Automatic thoughts or pop-ups – Uncontrolled thoughts.
Discovery thoughts – The beautiful amalgamation of the above two or let’s say, none of the two. It is then that the discoveries happen!
Just be conscious about these 3 types of thoughts and which ones occupy your mind the most. Make a note if you feel like. Observe for 2 weeks. I’ll see you next on the 8th of November @ 1 PM IST.
Drop me a query in the meantime!
Thank you for reading,
Komel Chadha
Psychotherapist
www.komelchadha.com
+91 9811941192