Reality is Kinder Than Your Story - Centre For Peaceful Solutions

Maria Arpa

9 August 2017

Maria’s Midweek Mindfulness Moments

Reality is Kinder Than Your Story

Have you ever found yourself worrying about something that hasn’t even happened? I’m referring to those moments where you wrestle with your imagination as it introduces an untold number of variations that only result in your quickening pulse and maybe a sleepless night.

Have you noticed how we focus on to one aspect of the situation and then within no time at all, the story in our head projects itself to an almost apocalyptic conclusion.

If any of this seems familiar it is because it’s a very common human trait.

These internal dialogues have a purpose but we need patience and skill to understand what that may be. We have many internal voices. Some are there to protect us and some are there to encourage us. Some are not even our voices. They are tapes of voices from our childhood.

Because of our conditioning where we have been fed courtroom dramas and detective shows as entertainment along with sets of goodies and baddies who get their lot in violent ways, the ‘protector’ voice will attempt to prevent you from ever making a mistake, from ever getting hurt and from ever achieving your goals.

Identifying your ‘protector’ voice is a fun activity. Think of it like a sales person who’s trying to bring your attention to a product that you don’t need. And when your mind runs riot, allow yourself three deep breaths to remind yourself that you can change the tape.