Just a Good Thought

According to research, the average person has approximately 12,000 – 60,000 thoughts daily. 80% of thinking is attributed to negative thoughts driven by the fight-or-flight pattern of the brain, and 95% of those thoughts are repetitive. Doesn’t that make the saying about repeating oneself “like a broken record,” “beating the dead horse,” “washing the same dirty laundry,” or “like a parrot” so true? Neuroscientists suggest that because we are caught up in our thoughts, we don’t realize we are thinking and, therefore, assume our thoughts are accurate, even though many of them are not, in fact, true.

We think so much that we need sleep, preferably a good night’s sleep, for the unconscious mind to process and integrate information from our day, including memories, emotions, experiences, and all those thoughts. Scientists don’t know exactly why we need sleep, but I like the theory that we require time for our bodies, especially our minds, to recover.

I feel better after a good night’s sleep. I feel even better when I take a vacation from filling my head with things like watching television, sitting at my computer, checking my phone, reviewing my website, reading through social media, and examining my to-do list, let alone writing for extended periods. I usually do this by going on a silent meditation retreat where all I do is sit, walk, and watch my breath. Let go. Surrender to the present.

It’s amazing what can happen when I’m not talking or stimulated by a thousand things. Everything slows down. The mind becomes calm, more present. The prolonged silence increases self-awareness and helps me embrace my thoughts and my memories. I can process negative thoughts and sensations with compassion and humility. I notice things differently. Anxiety and stress melt away. It’s such a treat to feel emotionally balanced, open, content. And even though the mind is still doing what it does, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking … things feel light. Soft. Gentle. Easy.

Sigh …

The stillness of a retreat offers so much, but I think the best is the feeling of well-being that sticks around for a while when I’m back in the hustle and bustle of things. The afterglow. I hear things. I listen. The little stuff doesn’t bother me so much. And maybe I’m closer to 6,000 thoughts a day instead of 60,000.

I think I’ll go on one again soon.

“Whoever is happy will make others happy.” Anne Frank

Enjoy the Passage of Time.

Sharon

© 2025. Sharon Kreider. All Rights Reserved.