Lately I’ve had the realization that though I have a great community supporting me in tough times, I struggle the majority of the time with what feels like loneliness or the feeling of being alone. And most of the people in my circle would tell me, “you’re never alone because God is with you”. And I have respect for that idea and belief, and would likely agree with that statement. However, in those moments of struggle it isn’t easy to see or to be aware of God’s presence. Usually because of my unconscious choice to choose suffering.
I’ve been reading a book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, a lot slower than I would have liked. But if you know anything about me then you are likely aware that I like things to go quickly. It’s a challenging book because many of the ideas don’t align with my preformed belief of the world around me. If it’s not clear, I’m a Christian and align with a belief system that relates to that. Eckhart Tolle isn’t a Christian and rather than aligning with one belief, he uses many beliefs (Christianity, Buddhism, and Sufism) to make up his view of the world around him. One idea that Tolle introduced me to and that I’ve really latched to is this idea we all have something in our head called “The Thinker”. You know, the voice in your head that’s basically narrating your life? I’ve always known there is this annoying thing up there, but Tolle has given it a name and a name that fits.
Side note, I heard that not all people have narration in their head, so if that’s you, that’s pretty cool, but you should know that I’ve got so many questions….
Anyways, back on track. My narrator or as Tolle puts it, my Thinker, is a voice that wants to wage war with the happiness and peace that I believe The Father blesses us with every day. Tolle would agree, sort of. He might say that there is an inherent peace or joy that is at the core of who we are and we get glimpses of it, but only when The Thinker relaxes and chills out, but it’s ALWAYS there. And in some way, that is what the Christian might agree with (if God is Joy/Peace and God is always around, then Joy/Peace is ALWAYS there, we must become aware of it). I might agree with this….
But, before I do (lol), let's dive into a quick example of my Thinker. Every morning I wake up and ahead of me is a day that has been gifted to me. And just about every day my Thinker tells me that “this” day should be my last. It’s not always in a vicious angry way either, sometimes it's subtle and I don’t even notice what it’s being processed at first. But once I pay it attention, it’s like it never goes away. If it was up to me I would toss my Thinker out the window and I would never look back.
Now let’s define the Thinker as Tolle would define it. The Thinker represents the ego and the habitual patterns of thought that often lead to stress, anxiety, and a sense of separation from the present moment. Tolle would encourage you to become aware of the Thinker, observe their thoughts without attachment, and cultivate presence and mindfulness to transcend the mental chatter.
When I read Tolle and I try to understand The Thinker the way he describes, I quickly realize the similarities to the common idea of work-life balance. The idea of work-life balance is to separate work and life, as if they are two entities. Or how many have heard about the tool many coaches and counselors use; there's the “work Cody”, the “brother Cody”, the “future husband Cody”, and the list could go on forever and ever with the “different” Cody’s there could be. That’s what it feels like to me. I’m not tearing down those two ways of observing life, but I can say, those two ways aren’t for me. Yet, I so badly wish they did. The Thinker, like mentioned, wages war in my head. I call this the not so quiet-quiet struggle.
I’m sure many of you can relate to showing up at a church event, school, work, or some place and putting on a face, pretending to be happy on the outside. But the truth is that in your head you're telling yourself every bad thing that you’ve ever thought about yourself and every lie too. It’s not quiet. The Thinker is dropping bombs, laying traps, and luring you into the next land mine, the next darkest thing, and the next, and the next. For me it's depression, I get sad. I feel worthless. And once the bad thoughts about myself start flowing, it seems as though they never stop. And before you know it, I’ve sabotaged every good thing that was happening in my life. So when Tolle writes, “So the single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment is this: learn to disidentify from your mind” in The Power of Now I couldn’t help but be more interested in learning about The Thinker.
In that thought, Tolle presents us with the idea that you shouldn’t find your identity in your thoughts, and for so long, I think I have, without knowing it. If you identify with your thoughts, then it’s likely you see all of the negative things you are saying about yourself are coming true or maybe you’re expressing yourself in unhealthy ways because of it. Maybe you're someone who has positive thoughts, and therefore the positive identity shines through instead, and if that’s you, I’m thankful you’re able to share your positive light in the world for the rest of us to see! Keep being the inspiration we all need. Where I think we should find our identity is pretty obvious when you think about my belief as a Christian. You’ve got to find your identity where God calls us to find our identity (see Ephesians 2:1-10).
Every time I’ve picked up this book and have digested the pieces, I keep coming back to the biblical idea to “take every thought captive” I’ve copied a couple versions below:
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (ESV) For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG) The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
Tolle's concept of "watching the thinker" 👀👀 and Paul's instruction to "take every thought captive" ⛓️⛓️ are essentially two sides of the same coin. And though From what I've gathered in The Power of Now, this idea seems to be one of the central teachings of the book.
Pray 🙏🏼: The most effective way for me to shift my thoughts is through prayer. I often ask God to take away the negative or distracting thoughts, or to replace them with more peace-filled ones. I'll put on worship music and invite the Holy Spirit to be present with me. Sometimes, all I need is a friend to sit with me and thankfully, we always have a friend who's ready and near, always!
Fight Back🥷🏼: When I encounter negative thoughts, I often respond by confronting them head-on with counter-thoughts. For example, when I think, "I’ll be alone forever," I might say something like, "Not today" or "You wish!" These simple affirmations may seem small, but over time, I’ve noticed they’re making a difference in how I process negative thinking. Even small shifts like this, done consistently, start to change the overall pattern of my thoughts.
Let Them Run🏃🏼♀️➡️: Sometimes, I let my thoughts flow freely to really understand what they’re telling me. This is similar to Tolle's idea of "watching the thinker." If I can step back and observe the thought without judgment, I can often uncover the underlying message or fear driving it. Some people might call this a "trigger," but for me, it’s a way of getting to the root of the thought, so I can address it with more clarity.
Here’s the thing: I'm not perfect and I will likely let My Thinker get the best of me at some point in my life (maybe even tomorrow). But, I can’t get caught up in those thoughts and let them define who I am. In the same way, you can’t get caught up in those thoughts. So find the best way for you to overcome these thoughts, maybe spending time with the creator of the universe!
You are a child of God, created to do good things, even if you don’t see that yet and that’s where you can find your identity.
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank you for creating us in your image. Thank you for giving us the ability to see you and be aware of your spirit. Would you give us the strength to find You and to see our identity in You when we let our minds, our Thinkers get the best of us. You are a good and gracious God, who offers peace, joy, and love and I pray that we can use that to grow and to bring You glory.
Amen.
Peace & Love,
Cody Daniel
P.S. There will be more to unpack in the next post! One thing I love about reading authors who don’t believe the same thing you do is that you are challenged. If you are reading material that only ever promotes your current belief, then you will find that you will live in a bubble. So Go Explore!!
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