Handling the "Monkey Mind"

[Twinstar]

The monkey mind does not need to be fought. It needs to be tenderly embraced, like a child.

The monkey mind is your ego throwing a tantrum because you are ignoring it. It is a kid that is grabbing onto their parent and refusing to let go until it has been cared for. Don't punish it for wanting attention. Don't judge it, or become frustrated. The only way to handle it is with Love. 

Whisper to it that everything will be okay. Guide it through breathing exercises until it calms down. If it still lets out a cry, just let it. Between time and your soothing, it will be quiet.

At the end of the day, it's all you. Treat it how you would like to be treated. Treat it as you would treat others, as that is often more kind than you treat yourself.

There's no need to create a battlefield in your mind, you're only fighting yourself. Struggling is useless, stop struggling.

 

"Sorrow, fear, and depression are all a kind of garbage...You can practice in order to turn these bits of garbage into flowers.... you should not throw anything out.  All you have to do is learn how to transform your garbage into flowers. " - from "You are Here" by Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Remember that transformation is always possible.

 

You are not your emotions, but your emotions are you. They belong to you. They are a small part of you, by no means something you should identify yourself as being. It's like looking at a single drop of water and saying it is the ocean, simply inaccurate.

You have to look within. No amount of external approval or affection could ever substitute self-love. There isn't a single being apart from you that can deeply understand you. No one is capable of loving you the way you can love yourself. No one knows each of your flaws the way you do. Any external love is superficial. They can only claim to love what it is they think they know. It is not their fault communication is limited. They aren't capable of knowing everything about you, so they aren't capable of loving everything about you. But you can.

Some people try to love you as best they can. Their love is genuine. But it is limited. The love you get from them is only a fraction of what you are capable of feeling. Deep down, you know this. You know there isn't a being separate from you that can love you the way that you desire. You have this longing for great love, a deep connection, mutual understanding, and compassion. These can only come from you. Your ego, the voice in your head. It has to be loving. Of you, of everyone, of everything. 

 

Be non-judgmental. Judgment arises from biases, it leads to division. You must seek unity. Not just within yourself, but unity between you and the universe. Once you find true Love inside, you can project it outwards. Through confidence and kindness, you can guide others to find this true love within themselves. 

Be patient. Don't be discouraged by a lack of what you would consider results. That can lead to frustration and anger, or even sadness and despair. These emotions will just be a hurdle. They aren't bad, they can be transformed into flowers. Nothing is bad, that label arises from bias. Explaining the unexplainable won't be easy. It is like trying to teach someone a new language, things will get lost in translation. It is not your fault, you did what you could with the tools you were given. It is up to the other person to find the meaning that was lost, to read between the lines of what language can't communicate. Just believe that time and dedication will lead to some change. 

 

Let go. Of standards, expectations, beliefs, concepts, theories, ideas, thoughts, and emotions. Just be. Be Love.