Do you trust your mind?
Of course we all do. We have to. It’s our only tool to navigate through the world. Especially when you’re an introvert.
But have you wondered why the same mind keeps us stuck?
Why doesn’t it let you express yourself? Why doesn’t it let you take actions that can take your life to a different level? Why does it act like the villain in your life that won’t let you have what you want?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could catch it every time your mind lies, say thank you for your opinion, and just keep moving. Imagine if you kept every single promise you made to yourself in the last 5 years. Your life would be so much different.
And the only thing that is holding you back is your own mind.
Today I will share with you an insight that can help you overcome the imaginary limitations created by your mind and reach your highest potential.
Let’s dive right in.
Understanding the Mind
Imagine you are driving on a street and suddenly you see a speedbreaker.
What do you do?
Your foot instantly hits the brake pedal. Even if the speedbreaker is almost flat and the car can go over it smoothly. You still do it. It happens subconsciously. It’s a habit you have developed over the years.
If you dig deeper, it stems from a survival mechanism buried deep inside our brain. It has no time for logic. You cannot argue with it. You cannot reason with it. Its job is to save you from any potential danger in your environment.
It only understands caveman logic: I see speed breaker, I brake. No if’s, no but’s.
Just like that speedbreaker, every new life situation your mind has to face, it deals with it by applying the same caveman logic.
If you’re on a date, it sees the stranger as a threat.
If you’re at a job interview, it sees the recruiter as a threat.
If you’re planning to start your own creative work, it sees the steps involved as a threat.
This primal instinct of survival is so deeply buried in our neural pathways that it’s very difficult to overcome it. Anything that involves leaving your comfort zone and moving into an unknown territory will trigger this primal instinct of survival.
It’s like an overprotective parent of a toddler. You stay in your crib. Every other place is unsafe. Period.
It’s this primal instinct that holds you back from taking action. The mind thinks it’s saving you, but in reality, it’s holding you back from growing and reaching your true potential as a human being.
And the only way to deal with it is through self-observation.
Let me explain.
Mastering the Mind
The great philosopher Lao Tzu said,
“Mastering others is intelligence; mastering yourself is true wisdom”.
Lao Tzu was a true master. And the thing that all masters share in common is the ability to put a lifetime of wisdom into just a few simple words (I use all the 280 characters on X though, still learning).
Most people understand these quotes on a surface level, I like to dig deep.
So, let’s focus on the second part of the quote: Mastering yourself is true wisdom.
What is “yourself”?
You may say, it’s me.
Kinda true, but actually it’s the self-image you have about yourself. It’s not you.
Self-image is created through experiences, habits, behavior, thoughts, beliefs that give you a vague idea about who you are.
And I believe 98% of people in the world live on the surface and spend their entire lives thinking that’s who they are. And that is the reason why we are unable to master the mind. Because if you think that’s who you are, you will never be able to gain control over your mind.
Let’s break down down that word into two: Mastering your ‘self’
How does it make you feel now?
What is this self?
The ‘self’ is the observer. The part of your consciousness that remains unchanged from the day you are born till that day you leave this planet.
The part of you that just sees things without interfering with them.
It’s like playing a video game.
What you see on the screen is your life.
The character inside the game is your self-image.
The remote control through which you move the character around is your mind.
And the one controlling the remote, looking at the screen, and making all the decisions for the character in the game is YOU or the Self.
What Lao Tzu means by mastering yourself is not any kind of practice, or Yoga, or meditation or reaching a state of enlightenment, what he simply means is an awareness and understanding of this self.
The realization of who you truly are. And you achieve that state of high awareness through self-observation.
Imagine you are lying in your bed. Thinking about your life problems. Getting deeper into the spirals of overthinking about how you can make more money, for example. Feeling sorry for yourself. And how unfair life is.
But, ask yourself, is that even real?
The reality is you’re lying on a cozy bed. All relaxed. The AC is on. It’s cool and comfortable. The world is not on fire. The moon and stars are up there. Everything is okay.
This is self-observation. Seeing things the way they are. Self-observation helps you to simply observe the mental drama without participating in it. Just as an observer.
If you’re interested in learning more about self-observation, check out my course “Awakening”.
Self-observation aligns you with your true self. It transcends the imaginary world and limitations of the mind and keeps you rooted in reality.
It shows you the way things actually are instead of the fear filled imaginary metal scenarios of the mind.
It makes you realize that when you’re on a date, the stranger is not a threat but someone you like and would like to spend your life with.
It makes you realize that when you’re at a job interview, the recruiter is not a threat but just another human being who’s there to test your skills.
It makes you realize that when you’re planning to start your own creative work, the steps involved are not a threat, but fear of “what if it doesn’t work out” ( which is totally natural).
Understand this, dear friend, your mind is like a self-driving car. It knows all the rules. It has all the data to maneuver the steering wheel. It’s programmed to keep you safe. But it’s not perfect. It will make mistakes. And when it does, it needs a driver. A human being. An intelligence that is far superior than it to take control when a situation calls for it.
That intelligence is your SELF.
The intelligence of the universe. The intelligence that needs no reason. No logic.
The intelligence that just knows.
Stay blessed,
Karun
P.S: My YouTube channel is live. First video drops in the first week of October. I’ll be diving into much deeper topics like self-observation, the mind, self-knowledge, exploring the inner word and much, much more. If you find my content valuable, make sure you’re subscribed.
Join here : youtube.com/@thekarunpal