Recognizing Your Thoughts

Living in the present moment requires us to change how we relate to ourselves. Instead of clinging to our familiar patterns of control and self-protection, we learn to observe our inner experience without judgment. Contemplative prayer helps us see the endless stream of thoughts, fears, and impulses that arise. As we sit in stillness, we notice these mental patterns surfacing—our anxieties, resentments, and insecurities. The challenge is to resist reacting to them. Instead, we acknowledge each one and let it go. The point is to recognize your thoughts, which are not you, and to say, "That’s not something I need." This practice is difficult because our mind wants to grasp and control. Yet with patience, we learn that these passing thoughts are not who we are. We are not defined by the noise of our minds but by the deeper awareness beneath it.

May we recognize our thoughts as passing visitors,
not as who we are, and rest in
the deeper awareness that holds us steady.

(inspired by Richard Rohr, Everything Belongs; Simplicity; Contemplative Prayer)