Thoughts and the Masterpiece That Is You

“You want to become aware of your thoughts, you want to choose your thoughts carefully, and you want to have fun with this, because you are the masterpiece of your own life.” – Joe Vitale

The truth is our thoughts are really, really important.

But, because it’s often hard for us – in practice, over time – to think positively and constructively, we give up on positive thinking as either “un-realistic” or “too hard.”

It’s not either though. With practice, we can manage our thoughts effectively and create a train-of-thought that is positive, constructive and realistic.

The keys are awareness and practice. Meditation is a tool/technology for creating and building awareness.

What matters is our intent in a meditation practice.

We must develop facility and skill in noticing our thoughts – not controlling them (which is impossible).

It might seem counter-intuitive, but by sitting quietly and focusing on our breath – and gently noticing, and releasing, thoughts as they enter our consciousness – we develop greater awareness (and less manic thinking… ). Most importantly, we are then able to manage our thoughts, our (dis)stress level and emotions much, much better.

So, creating ourselves, as a masterpiece, begins (and largely ends) with our thoughts: being aware of them, choosing them carefully and enjoying the process.

The first step is awareness – and a great first step in awareness is meditation.