Buddhists talk about calming the “monkey mind,” the relentless chatter in our heads. If you’re like most people, there’s a constant string of shoulds, dids, and would-haves flowing like a waterfall through your every silent moment.

Beware the Internal Thought Monkeys

The Internal Thought Monkeys are those limiting beliefs, the ones that hack away at your instincts and intuition.  It’s been proven that there are neural pathways in the brain that actually exist to help you resist change as often as possible.  The brain seeks sweet comfort.  After all, it’s comfort that has allowed you to survive this long.  Why throw a wrench into the equation? So, as soon as you have a thought of discovery or a desire to try something new, the Thought Monkeys tamp down on it hard and start inserting buts and ifs into your sentences until you relent and go back to channel surfing.

Noticing the “shoulds”

If you hear yourself say “should,” it’s a pretty good indicator that the Thought Monkeys have arrived.  A huge red flag.  Notice the “shoulds” and soon you’ll be banishing the Thought Monkeys to some remote island far away where they belong.

CC licensed image by sunset girl creations via flickr

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