This is a body of work called Never Mind Your Mind.
The Theatre of the Mind.
This metaphor is a common analogy in mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy literature.
This has been adapted for the purpose of unhooking from unhelpful thoughts particularly.
Imagine your mind as a grand old theatre.
The stage is large,
The lights are bright and there's a performance going on all the time.
The actors on the stage are your thoughts.
Some are loud and dramatic,
Demanding your attention.
Others are quieter,
Waiting in the wings but still present.
Picture it now.
Your thoughts take on roles.
Some play the critic,
Always pointing out flaws and doubting your abilities.
Others the worrier,
Pacing back and forth,
Forecasting disaster.
The stage is filled with these actors and more,
Each playing their part,
Each delivering their lines.
Sometimes it feels like these performances are all there is.
You're so engrossed in the drama on stage that you forget where you are.
It's as if the theatre disappears and you're no longer in the audience.
You're in the play itself,
Swept up in the story.
But now imagine getting off the stage,
Taking a step back.
You sit down in the audience,
Far enough from the stage to see the bigger picture.
The performances are still happening,
But from here they look different.
You can see that the critic is just playing a role.
It is serving a purpose.
It's concerned.
The worrier is acting out a script.
It too,
Serving a purpose.
It's fearful.
These thoughts aren't you,
They're actors putting on a show.
And here's the thing.
As the audience,
You have a choice.
You don't have to believe everything the actors say.
You don't have to follow their lead.
You can watch the performance with curiosity,
Even compassion.
Knowing that you are not the actors.
You are the observer,
The one who sees the play unfold.
What actors have been taking centre stage in your mind lately?
Which of the actors are truly worthy of the energy and attention you give them?
How might it feel to sit back in the audience,
Watching the performance,
Rather than getting caught up in the drama?
I choose to embrace the growth of my consciousness by allowing this affirmation to settle within,
Nurturing me just as I am in this moment.
Every single time I notice an unhelpful thought simply as a thought,
My consciousness evolves just a little more.
My mind is a stage where thoughts take their place.
I sit in the audience,
Granting them space.
My mind is a stage where thoughts take their place.
I sit in the audience,
Granting them space.
My mind is a stage where thoughts take their place.
I sit in the audience,
Granting them space.
My mind is a stage where thoughts take their place.
I sit in the audience,
Granting them space.
