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hi guys! can anyone help. I have my own kinda suffering cause. I think TOO much.

ashcatmanashcatman
edited August 2011 in Buddhism Basics
Here's the thing.
I think too much about what I want to be doing or what I should have done by now etc etc.
For example; I want to write a book but have never accomplished it. I start then something called life comes up and I get distracted. Then I start thinking 'should have done it by now..oh now this isn't right I've got to change this change that.

When I haven't written in my diary for few days I start thinking 'oh no I have to back track I need this now I need that...etc etc..

There's always something I feel like I should have done by now.

But I don't want to be like this. I just want to live a simple life.
Wake up-go work-come home-spend time with kids-have tea-go bed......

I do meditate and read a lot and when I'm actually in meditation,its great - no worries at all. I forget everything, nothing matters.etc etc..for me meditation is awesome (for my own reasons)

But its when I'm not meditating that my minds starts wondering again.

Any ideas or tips???

Comments

  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    Stop thinking so much :)

    Our society puts great value on doing. It's really (truly) okay to not do things. Life is as complicated as you make it, and as you allow it to be. Take a look at what's *really* important. When you're on your death bed, are you going to regret not spending more time doing stuff, or are you going to regret not spending more time with your kids and your family? Take an entire day to sit and do absolutely nothing sometime. It's very cathartic.
  • BeachHouseGuyBeachHouseGuy
    Biking !
  • hermitwinhermitwin Veteran
    You are not alone.
    ask any neurologist. we think 24 hours a day.
    its a universal problem.
    we cant stop thinking, but we can choose what we
    think about. so, think about good things.
    or if you practise meditation,
    you can observe your own thoughts.
    and realise that your mind is totally
    out of control.
  • zidanguszidangus Veteran
    edited August 2011
    You are not alone.
    ask any neurologist. we think 24 hours a day.
    its a universal problem.
    we cant stop thinking, but we can choose what we
    think about. so, think about good things.
    or if you practise meditation,
    you can observe your own thoughts.
    and realise that your mind is totally
    out of control.
    Just to add that yes through meditation we can observe and be aware of how 'out of control' our minds can be when we first start out in meditation. But in meditations such as samatha meditation one aim of the meditation is to get that control back/get that awareness of how the mind is forever changing from moment to moment, and be mindful that of the thoughts/emotions which arise we have a choice if we wish to follow them or not, we are not slaves to these.

    Just thought I would add that point :D

  • jgppjgpp
    @hermitwin

    +1 to realizing how out of control my mind is. lol
  • abhishek_laserabhishek_laser
    Increase your practice of meditation, eventually there will come a stage when your mind will realize for itself that excessive thinking is causing misery for itself and becomes dispassionate towards it and starts thinking only when there is a need to think. The thing is, thinking is a surface level activity of the mind which is a manifestation of many underlying tendencies, hence when you are thinking too much it's better to look at the mood of the mind which is causing this particular train of thought and then you may be able to understand it and hence let it go. The knowledge on how to understand all the underlying tendencies of the mind will take a lot of dhamma study, so better get started.
  • pegembarapegembara Veteran
    Keep meditating until you realize that thoughts are not yours.

    ["Whatever is not yours: let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term happiness & benefit. And what is not yours?

    "The intellect is not yours: let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term happiness & benefit. Ideas are not yours... Intellect-consciousness is not yours... Intellect-contact is not yours... Whatever arises in dependence on intellect-contact, experienced either as pleasure, as pain, or as neither-pleasure-nor-pain, that too is not yours: let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term happiness & benefit.

    Na Tumhaka Sutta: Not Yours]
  • AMHAMH
    I agree to keep meditating. The funny thing is that most people who say they can't meditate are the ones who need it the most. I have actual brain wiring reasons to make it hard for me to stop thinking, but it is soooo helpful. i have gotten farther and been calmer over the last years through practice. The basic thoughts are the first step, and then you get the thoughts that you are soo sure are very important and creative and amazing. Not focusing on those is another step, but if it is very important or creative then it will be there again when you are done meditating.
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    I have actual brain wiring reasons to make it hard for me to stop thinking
    Just like every other human being on the planet :) Your brain isn't wired any differently from anyone else, trust me...
  • AMHAMH
    Yeah I know, just some of us get a challenge in this. I just wanted to assure anyone who thinks they can't meditate because of whatever they have going on that they still can. Sometimes I am doing very short periods and sometimes I can do longer. But it is still valuable
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