Be the witness of your thoughts. ~ Buddha
The one who sees thought as a thought is the witness to mind and no longer subject to suffering. ~Vivian Amis
How do you immerse yourself in life without losing yourself? Do you find yourself caught up in circles of thought that threaten to overwhelm you?
Even when I intend to meditate, my thoughts can run the show. My attention is swallowed by them. I’m unable to immerse myself in the inner silence.
I am not being a witness of my thoughts!
The witness is usually thought of as the observer of a situation, recounting the “facts” that represent the essential nature with fairness and objectivity. When applied to our everyday life, something more begins to unfold. The observer takes on deeper dimensions.
What could your participation in life as the witness offer to you?
Drama!
Think of all the interactions you have that pull on your energy, leaving you inexplicably drained. Usually they have the underpinnings of expectation and attachment to an outcome. You are unhappy when things don’t go your way.
What if you could step out of the emotional drama that fires up relationships and throws you off kilter?
Don’t mistake drama for engagement, participation and immersion in life. Drama is an expression of emotion that has no container and no balance. Whether it happens inside of you or is expressed by someone else, emotional drama creates an energetic vortex that consumes the light, taking the energy out of the room.
When drama escalates, it threatens to drown the participants.
Drama buffers you from experiencing life as it could be. When emotion is clouding the field, how can you connect with that grand director, your inner guidance?
Immerse Yourself in Your Life
When you drop drama as the go-to attempt to control your life, everything shifts. No longer are you caught in determining who is right. Your senses sharpen. As the intensity of the drama dissolves, your body relaxes, opening your availability to unveil the truth. You listen more objectively, without bias. You feel what resonates, enabling your ability to discern what is true. Your vision gains clarity, widening to encompass a bigger picture.
You feel an inner strength.
There is no need to defend yourself or to seek agreement with others for your “position”. Your only desire is to know the truth. Fear, retreat, threat, retaliation and blame cannot stand with the bright light of truth.
The witness welcomes the truth. There is no threat. Once the truth is expressed there is no attachment to an outcome. You speak and let go. There is no need to campaign for a result. You are free to reflect on your next steps, aligning yourself with the truth that resides within.
Free Your Body
Get to know the difference between a restricted body and a free body. When your body becomes free you open the door for new creativity, fully immersing yourself in the flow of life.
What if you could move from restriction to freedom? Would you be willing to catch yourself in the midst of drama and step aside?
Let go and surrender to the truth of who you are.
Time to Reflect
Take a breath. Release it. Take another. Devote some dedicated time of concentration/meditation. It doesn’t need to be hours of quiet, perhaps only 15 minutes. Then allow the question to simmer within you. Let responses bubble up into your awareness. Notice new ways of thinking, of images or ideas that arise spontaneously. Pay attention to your dreams. Let it happen. Be aware. See where it leads you next. Let yourself savor this process of receiving from yourself. Don’t judge whatever comes up, just receive it. Make notes.
You may want to share something from this process. Sharing anchors an insight in your body. It leads you to deeper insight. It stimulates action.
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28 Responses
This is SO true. I AM the watcher of my thoughts. I choose what to give energy to. I have surrendered to being… and it is such a powerful way to live.
Oh my Shelley, it IS such a powerful way to live. There is so much to discover and receive…
This is awesome. I know so stones we get so caught up in living and helping others that before we notice the waters of life are overwhelming us. Drama plays a huge art in the process. This is such a refreshing read…filled with visual references and sound guidance to maneuver the waters. Awesome!
Thanks Beverly! I appreciate you coming by!
Love the connection to nature because in nature, lies much wisdom. We just need to pay attention.
I’m with you! Paying attention is key to so much in life, Candi.
Being the watcher brings a new perspective to our lives. It empowers and inspires!
I suspect that people sometimes imagine the watcher as being uninvolved. Like you say, it brings an inspiring perspective! That always leads to new possibilities for action.
Thank you Laurie for sharing this beautiful post as it inspires me to stay compassionately detached from the process of life. I use the mantra bless and release for this purpose and it serves me well. Hugs and blessings
Beautiful, Debra! Thanks for sharing.
Awareness and ego cannot share the same space between one’s two ears. Or so says Eckhart Tolle. And he’s right. Ego loves drama. Drama makes ego feel oh so important and self-righteous. Ego wants to be right. Awareness wants to be joyful and light. Easy breezy life is peasy (bad rhyme but you get the point). Awareness doesn’t really care so much about being right…I remember once that feeling of drama invading my head space and I was on the cusp of awareness and I simply asked, “is this really about me?” The answer was no. Ego left and awareness came dancing in…
Oh yes, Peggy! The willingness to ask the question (along with the willingness to hear the truth) is what makes the difference. If you want to be right, you’ll never get to the truth of who you are. That comes packaged in the gift of awareness.
A great reminder not to be caught up in our emotions but to calmly assess situations and to make choices that will lead to inner peace.
Thanks Laurie
Thanks Veronica. The first choice we get to make is the one to be the witness rather than get caught u.
Love your description of drama! This whole paragraph is so truthful it goes right to the heart of the matter!
“Don’t mistake drama for engagement, participation and immersion in life. Drama is an expression of emotion that has no container and no balance. Whether it happens inside of you or is expressed by someone else, emotional drama creates an energetic vortex that consumes the light, taking the energy out of the room. When drama escalates, it threatens to drown the participants.”
Just wow…
Thanks, Sheila!
VERY good point about the difference between drama and engagement. I’ve been “attacked” out of the blue twice this week. I realized I had an opportunity to escalate discord and drama, or diffuse the situation with love and compassion. Am doing my best to achieve the latter. Thanks so much for this helpful post
You are welcome! Thank you for sharing the “live” situation. I appreciate your choice!
Thanks Laurie, I enjoyed reading this blog! I know meditation helps me detach from the drama within and outside of me. xx
Thanks so much, Lisa!
I understand how much drama can take hold of your life. And, how harmful that can be. Listening objectively is listening to what is real within you. The act of meditation is an act of kindness to your body and your soul.
I love that definition of “listening objectively”, Roy. That really speaks to me.
What a beautifully poetic post Laurie! Your words & images are so thought AND emotion-provoking! I will need to remember this line when I am stuck “When your body becomes free you open the door for new creativity, fully immersing yourself in the flow of life.”
Thank you dear Tae!
Beautiful inspiration …. thanks!
You are so welcome, Kim!
After a week of Mondays at work, I loved this reminder. Thank you. <3
With pleasure. Any time, Peggy!