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Quotes about Thoughts

    “We spend our lives lost in thought. The question is, what should we make of this fact? In the West, the answer has been ‘Not much.’ In the East, especially in contemplative traditions like those of Buddhism, being distracted by thought is understood to be the very wellspring of human suffering. From the contemplative point of view, being lost in thoughts of any kind, pleasant or unpleasant, is analogous to being asleep and dreaming. It’s a mode of not knowing what is actually happening in the present moment. It is essentially a form of psychosis. Thoughts themselves are not a problem, but being identified with thought is. Taking oneself to be the thinker of one’s thoughts—that is, not recognizing the present thought to be a transitory appearance in consciousness—is a delusion that produces nearly every species of human conflict and unhappiness. It doesn’t matter if your mind is wandering over current problems in set theory or cancer research; if you are thinking without knowing you are thinking, you are confused about who and what you are.”

    Sam Harris, Waking Up (Page 101)

      “One of the functions of thought is to be occupied all the time with something. Most of us want to have our minds continually occupied so that we are prevented from seeing ourselves as we actually are. We are afraid to be empty. We are afraid to look at our fears.”

      J. Krishnamurti, Freedom From The Known (Page 44)

        “Thoughts are not facts. They are a mix of opinions, judgements, stories, memories, theories, interpretations, and predictions about the future… Just as thoughts are not facts, feelings are not facts either. Emotions are information, but when that information is powerful, intense and loud, as emotions can be, then we are more vulnerable to believing in them as a true reflection of what is going on. I feel it therefore it must be a fact. Emotional reasoning is a thought bias that leads us to use what we feel as evidence for something to be true, even when there might be plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise.”

        Julie Smith, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

          “We cannot prevent birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from making nests on top of our heads. Similarly, bad thoughts sometimes appear in our mind, but we can choose whether we allow them to live there, to create a nest for themselves, and to breed evil deeds.”

          Martin Luther, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 277)

            “I have no religion whatsoever. I believe that life is a process and that man is a self-made product. The spirit of the individual is determined by his dominating thought habits.”

            Bruce Lee, Striking Thoughts (Page 76)

              “The epitome of the human realm is to be stuck in a huge traffic jam of discursive thought.”

              Chögyam Trungpa, The Myth Of Freedom, via Sunbeams (Page 121)

                “As you think, you travel. As you love, you attract. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. You cannot escape the result of your thoughts; but you can endure and learn, accept and be glad. You will realize the vision of your heart, not the idle wish. You will gravitate toward that which you secretly most love. Into your hands will be placed the exact result of your thoughts; you will receive that which you earn; no more, no less. Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your vision—your ideal.”

                Unknown, via Sunbeams (Page 74)

                Steve Carlton Quote on Getting Out Of Your Own Way

                  “You’ve gotta find a way to get out of your own way, so you can progress in life.”

                  Steve Carlton

                  Beyond the Quote (63/365)

                  The ideal way to go from thought to end destination is through appropriate action.  Simple enough, right?  That’s the way you bring entrepreneurial ventures from thoughts to life.  It’s how you incorporate healthy lifestyle habits into your daily routine.  It’s how go from grade school to high school to college to job to career to living your imagined lifestyle.  And it all happens through the appropriate actions that you take once the appropriate thoughts get confirmed in your head.  But, as I’m sure you’re aware, taking appropriate actions isn’t all that simple.  Before you can take an appropriate action, you have to have the appropriate thoughts in your head confirmed.  And THIS is where most everybody gets tripped up.

                  Read More »Steve Carlton Quote on Getting Out Of Your Own Way

                    “Very few people even bother to try to control the way their thoughts and doubts bubble up.  The vast majority of us are slaves to our minds.  Most don’t even make the first effort when it comes to mastering their thought process because it’s a never-ending chore and impossible to get right every time.  The average person thinks 2,000 – 3,000 thoughts per hour.  That’s thirty to fifty per minute!  Some of those shots will slip by the goalie.  It’s inevitable.  Especially if you coast through life.” ~ David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me

                      “Though we’d like to believe our thoughts are under our control, guess again.  Thoughts arise constantly, and many have no business being in our minds, nor do they have a positive purpose in our lives.  Road rage, what goes through your mind when someone cuts you off in traffic, is a good example of an emotion-driven thought.” ~ Mark Divine, The Way of the Seal