Did you know that the average person’s brain has 60,000 thoughts every single day? If not more.

It’s incredible when you think about how unconscious we really are. How many of those 60,000 are you consciously aware of? 100? 200? 1,000?

My interest in how many thoughts I experience every day has greatly increased since I’ve been practicing becoming present and being one with the stillness within. I’m always surprised at how easy it is to slip into an unconscious state where you’re so identified with the thoughts that you don’t notice them for what they are.

It’s easy to believe that your thoughts are you since you’ve experienced them with you all of the time for such lengthy periods of time.

The first thing you do in the morning when you awake is start to go through your morning thoughts…

“Oh I must do this…”
“Brush my teeth”
“Get a shower”
“I’m going to have two boiled eggs for breakfast”
“Why is she not awake yet?”
“Where’s my slippers?”
“Oh, that looks nice”
“What a terrible dream last night”

And it starts from just a moment or two after you become consciously awake.

Being so identified with your thoughts where you believe you are those thoughts will only lead you to an unfulfilled life where you’re constantly seeking something new to fulfil you. The new relationship, the new car, the new home, the new job etc. All of this wanting and needing is created by your thoughts.

There’s nothing wrong with experiencing all of those things, but when you see them as a way to make your life complete, that is when you’re still identifying with your thoughts and your ego.

If you spend a little time noticing your thoughts and observing what they are, you’ll quickly become present and if you hold that for a few seconds, you’ll find that your thoughts gradually disappear.

Who is it that observes the thoughts?

It is your true self.

You are the consciousness that gives thoughts the attention.
You are the consciousness that can know your hand is still there.
You are the consciousness that hears the sound of rain drops.

You do not think. The brain thinks. You give the brain the consciousness to think.

Try observing some of your thoughts throughout your day. Just notice that they are there, whatever they may be. After you have an argument with someone, notice what you’re thinking. Maybe you get a job promotion, notice what thoughts you’re having because of it. Whatever happens, notice your thoughts.

Doing so for the entire day is a big ask. Watching out for 60,000 thoughts is a full-time job and one that no one I know of could manage. Instead of trying to notice all of them, when you do notice that you’re thinking, just observe what thoughts are there. Simple.