In Chapter 1 of The Untethered Soul, Michael Singer writes, “… the mind talks all the time because you gave it a job to do. You use it as a protection mechanism, a form of defense.”
Is that true? Is the mind a form of defense?
Let’s watch it for a day and find out. As you watch, some forms of defense you might find are:
~ Thoughts attacking someone who threatens your psyche or gets in the way of what you want (even if it is just the position you want in traffic)
~ Mentally practicing a conversation with someone in order to achieve the outcome you want
~ Thinking about how you should look, be or act in order to be liked or respected by others
~ Thinking about what you can change, manipulate or control in order to achieve the outcome you want
~ Thinking about how you can avoid any feeling or circumstance that you find uncomfortable or painful
Today’s lesson tells us, “You are its slave. … You do not realize what you have done to sabotage the holy peace of God by your defenses.”
Is that true? Are we slaves to the mind’s defensive chatter?
Let’s watch that too. Can you decide to let go of defensive chatter and then move through the day in relative peace, or do you find yourself listening to defensive chatter again?
Try this today: Whenever you notice the mind is chattering as a form of defense, look at what the mind is saying. Notice it. And then slowly say to yourself, “In my defenselessness my safety lies.” (Or you can say, “Peace lies in defenselessness.”) Take a breath and let go of the chatter. Move into a state of openness, acceptance and intuitiveness. Remain there. If you notice that you’ve slipped into being focused on mental defenses again, repeat this practice.
If a situation arises today that needs to be resolved, approach it differently. Instead of going to the mind’s defenses for answers, ask questions and remain open for intuition’s guidance. For example, ask, “How should I look at this?” or “What should I do now?”
