Don't Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking Is The Beginning & End Of Suffering

CHAPTER 9
IF WE STOP THINKING, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT
OUR GOALS, DREAMS & AMBITIONS?
“There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge.”
— Napoleon Hill
I think, therefore I suffer.
When I finally understood that thinking was the root cause of all of
my suffering, I was jumping up and down, exhilarated, relieved and
grateful for discovering the true reason for everything negative I've
experienced in my life. This ecstasy was short-lived though because
soon after the exuberance settled, the next thoughts popped into my
mind:
If thinking is the root cause of all my suffering and I just stop
thinking, how do I live my life now? What about all of my goals,
dreams, and ambitions? Do I stop wanting things in life? Will I just
devolve into a couch potato and not do anything with my life
anymore?
In case you were wondering, yes, I am telepathic and yes, I can
read your mind.
Just kidding, but if you are wondering how I wrote
the exact or very similar questions and know what thoughts you most
likely have right now, it's because I am human also, contrary to
popular belief.
All of us are going through similar journeys of
awakening to our True Selves, so rest assured that many people are
having the exact same thoughts you are having right now as you
come to see your true magnificence.
Now back to the question of what we do about our goals, dreams,
and ambitions if we stop thinking. As I pondered on these questions,
an incredible amount of fear and anxiety began to surface because I
thought that I would have to give all of it up and become a monk in
the middle of the mountains.

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I was definitely not ready to do that. As much as I wish I were that
enlightened and detached from my life, I genuinely enjoyed being in
the world, experiencing the fullness of life with other people, even if a
large portion of my life was filled with suffering.
Here's what I've discovered about what to do with our goals and
dreams with this new understanding.
As we've mentioned in previous
chapters, there's a difference between thoughts versus thinking. The
source of thoughts and the source of thinking are different, and the
source is what will dictate whether it causes suffering or not.
Similarly, where our goals and dreams come from will determine
whether we feel great about pursuing them or not. Like everything in
this world, there is nothing inherently good or bad, only our thinking
makes it so. Goals, dreams, and ambitions are not good or bad, so
it's not really an either-or situation, but more about where those
goals are coming from.