You don't have to follow your mind everywhere it leads.
Don Bremner, author, neuroscientist:
"In a nutshell, here's what meditationSHIFT teaches in 'An owner's guide to the mind':
Your suffering and unhappiness aren't the result of external things - they aren't caused by everything 'out there.' To the contrary, your suffering and unhappiness are caused by the stories your mind tells you about everything 'out there.' These stories dictate your state of being - they determine who you are, how you feel, and what you do. If you strengthen awareness of these stories, you can stop getting caught up in them. If you stop getting caught up in them, you can better deal with the challenges in your life...and be a lot happier as you go through your days.
It's like a hostage (you) being freed from their captor (your compulsive mind)."
"In a nutshell, here's what meditationSHIFT teaches in 'An owner's guide to the mind':
Your suffering and unhappiness aren't the result of external things - they aren't caused by everything 'out there.' To the contrary, your suffering and unhappiness are caused by the stories your mind tells you about everything 'out there.' These stories dictate your state of being - they determine who you are, how you feel, and what you do. If you strengthen awareness of these stories, you can stop getting caught up in them. If you stop getting caught up in them, you can better deal with the challenges in your life...and be a lot happier as you go through your days.
It's like a hostage (you) being freed from their captor (your compulsive mind)."
"An owner's guide to the mind"
We all share the same struggles:
If you're like the rest of us, you deal with one or more of them on a daily basis.
And, if you're like the rest of us, you probably blame them on external circumstances (the people around you, the situations you find yourself in, the things that happen "to" you).
All of us try different ways to cope:
These methods of "coping" may - at best - help us find temporary relief from our struggles. More likely, however, they'll add new ones to our already-full plates.
The problem is, these struggles are only symptoms. As such, we can spend a lifetime treating them to no avail. It's like we're stuck on a treadmill, constantly trying to "fix" whatever comes our way. But, no matter what we do, the treadmill keeps spinning and things keep coming.
As a result, we go through life unfulfilled. Or unhappy. Or, in a general state of discontent. Or...dissatisfied.
It leaves most of us wondering, "What does it take to be happy?" The answer is, we have to stop treating the symptoms and start addressing the root cause.
The root cause is our compulsive minds and non-stop thoughts. Becoming aware of how our minds create our struggles - and, learning to stop getting caught up in the stories that continuously run through our heads - is how we move beyond coping.
It's how we step off the treadmill.
It's how we escape going through life unfulfilled. Or unhappy. Or, in a general state of discontent. Or...dissatisfied.
"An owner's guide to the mind" has helped people do exactly that for over 15 years. It combines concepts from Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (the precursor to cognitive behavior therapy) and Buddhist and Stoic philosophy. It's online and self-paced, and represents the culmination of almost two decades of research, writing, and working with people around the world.
Click here to view the Table of Contents.
Steve Jacobson, Stamford, Connecticut:
- stress;
- endless worry;
- extreme emotions;
- an inability to break bad habits;
- feelings of anxiety and depression;
- a negative self-image;
- sleep problems;
- tension headaches;
- neck and back pain;
- a lack of focus;
- and on and on and on.
If you're like the rest of us, you deal with one or more of them on a daily basis.
And, if you're like the rest of us, you probably blame them on external circumstances (the people around you, the situations you find yourself in, the things that happen "to" you).
All of us try different ways to cope:
- We acquire material things;
- We change jobs;
- We go to traditional therapy;
- We take prescription medication;
- We end one relationship and start another;
- We eat too much, drink too much, or use drugs;
- We take vacations;
- We consume self-help/self-improvement resources;
- We try "forced positive thinking" or repeating affirmations;
- We bury ourselves in work, games, or other activities.
These methods of "coping" may - at best - help us find temporary relief from our struggles. More likely, however, they'll add new ones to our already-full plates.
The problem is, these struggles are only symptoms. As such, we can spend a lifetime treating them to no avail. It's like we're stuck on a treadmill, constantly trying to "fix" whatever comes our way. But, no matter what we do, the treadmill keeps spinning and things keep coming.
As a result, we go through life unfulfilled. Or unhappy. Or, in a general state of discontent. Or...dissatisfied.
It leaves most of us wondering, "What does it take to be happy?" The answer is, we have to stop treating the symptoms and start addressing the root cause.
The root cause is our compulsive minds and non-stop thoughts. Becoming aware of how our minds create our struggles - and, learning to stop getting caught up in the stories that continuously run through our heads - is how we move beyond coping.
It's how we step off the treadmill.
It's how we escape going through life unfulfilled. Or unhappy. Or, in a general state of discontent. Or...dissatisfied.
"An owner's guide to the mind" has helped people do exactly that for over 15 years. It combines concepts from Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (the precursor to cognitive behavior therapy) and Buddhist and Stoic philosophy. It's online and self-paced, and represents the culmination of almost two decades of research, writing, and working with people around the world.
Click here to view the Table of Contents.
Steve Jacobson, Stamford, Connecticut:
Straightforward, clear, and effective - it's like earning an advanced degree in the workings of your mind.
About us
Our mission is to help people understand how their minds work, and - as a result of that understanding - dramatically reduce their struggles and suffering.
Or, as we like to say,
"Understand your mind, live better."
We do this through our writing and teaching. Over the past 20 years, our free guide to mindfulness and meditation has been shared on the Internet over half a million times (thank you!), and we've published more than 100 articles on related topics.
We wrote "An owner's guide to the mind" in 2003 - we update it often, and it's evolved a lot over the past 16 years. It has also received a lot of positive feedback and recognition, including being ranked #4 out of 25 in MobileMedia's personal development category (2019 update: it's now #3).
Some people call it a book (or an eBook). Other people call it a course (or a 21-day program).
But, more important than any of that, it's been called "life-changing" by the people who implement it.
Click here to view the Table of Contents.
Click here to view links to the other content on our site.
Nicole Morris, Manchester, England:
Or, as we like to say,
"Understand your mind, live better."
We do this through our writing and teaching. Over the past 20 years, our free guide to mindfulness and meditation has been shared on the Internet over half a million times (thank you!), and we've published more than 100 articles on related topics.
We wrote "An owner's guide to the mind" in 2003 - we update it often, and it's evolved a lot over the past 16 years. It has also received a lot of positive feedback and recognition, including being ranked #4 out of 25 in MobileMedia's personal development category (2019 update: it's now #3).
Some people call it a book (or an eBook). Other people call it a course (or a 21-day program).
But, more important than any of that, it's been called "life-changing" by the people who implement it.
Click here to view the Table of Contents.
Click here to view links to the other content on our site.
Nicole Morris, Manchester, England:
You helped me stop struggling with thoughts and emotions which, in turn, allowed me to reduce stress and stop being controlled by anxiety. Thank you.
