I came across a phrase that jumped out at me from the book THE CALM CENTER by Steve Taylor: “Thought related pain.”

It occurred to me that all suffering is thought related pain. We all know what physical pain is: it’s felt in our body. We may not be aware that most pain we suffer is thought related.

The mental pain we experience begins with a thought and is sustained by thought.

When we are in emotional pain, its generator is thought.

We’re not going to stop thinking anytime soon, but we can begin to start noticing more. Noticing our thoughts, while they are happening, short circuits them and stops them from elongating thought related pain.

Notice that thought keeps mental pain alive. Then notice your thoughts. Just by observing your thoughts, you alleviate your suffering, which is thought related pain.

Observe your mind at work as a bystander vs. being a participant in the thought process, and you’ll open a drain for your pain.

Medication may take away your physical pain, but only you can end the suffering by noticing thought related pain.

All the best,

John