Today may never come,

as tomorrow's dreams are lived

in the present moment.

Yesterday dives as deep as it can get,

to dredge the wallowing's to last.

Today may never come,

If we are to live in the past.

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"I'll be the first to raise my hand and admit"..........

Hi, I'm Bradley, and I'm an overthinker. I sometimes get stuck in a thought that just won't shut the hell up and ends up stealing away way too much of my most precious commodity. The very measurement of "time." I'll be the first to raise my hand and admit that this is something that just happens, and when we allow it to overtake our minds, we lose sight of being totally aligned.

By alignment, I mean present. Mind and body work together as you, the observer, operate throughout the day. Using your mind to solve problems, vs allowing your mind to create them. Using your body to complete the daily task and support you as you make your way through the day, to end the night with some rest.

It sounds easy to admit such a thing, and many I've mentioned this to also agree. They too experience it to their own degree. Sounds easy, right? It's not when you really dig deep into the depths of the mind. I've recently started to study the term A.N.Ts (automatic negative thoughts)

Only a crazy person would say that they don't experience this. We all do, yet some of us don't understand how to stop it. How to shut it off. How to make the looping stories that seem to get worse and worse, to STOP!

I have found that the more you attempt to shut it down, the more you are setting yourself up for one hell of a ride towards disappointment. You, the observer, just make it worse by observing. However, all the shit you read about it literally gives you one-line answers on how to solve this.

Meditate, just let it go, just breathe, get over it, stop drop and roll...............

Have you ever been taught?

This is the part that really bothers me about the modern day influencial bucket hat-wearing humans. They will simply answer when you're buried in the mind, just meditate, let it go, you gotta breathe. Blinking rapidly as my brain explodes. One question: have you ever been taught? Have you in your life been taught how to meditate? I assume you think it's just sitting there trying to shut off your mind........complete shit to anyone that ever says that to you. Ask them to shut their liver down for a few minutes. Have you ever been taught how to just.........let it go? Wait, you didn't know, you just have to cut the string, and you're all good. Get over it, listen, we all can, some of us just need a little more time than others. Yet, I'll say this: there are still steps in this process, too.

Definitely, if you're on fire, "stop drop and roll"

"I'm no expert..."

As the header says, I'm no expert; however, I'm an overthinker with a lot of questions. I have dedicated years of my life to understanding the mind better. To this very day, it can still get the best of me. I'm writing this out because I, the observer of my life, have it under control currently. If I attempted to write this out while stuck in the darker parts of the mind, anyone reading it would be calling a hotline.

There are many processes to plow through with those new-age hippy one-liners. Everything in life has a process. You just have to be willing to learn it, play around with it, and make it work for you. Anyone who claims their way is the only way is the kind of person I would personally stear from.

Keep reading, and I'll take you on an example of how I take power back over my mind.

A simple method

How do you know you're stuck in a looping thought when you can't even think about anything other than that? A practice I use as much as I need to in a day to reset myself is a simple breathing technique. A few rounds to several, and I reset my nervous system and can get back to being present for the time being.

I tell everyone I work with, if you think you will forget, set a few random timers on that device you can never walk away from, and it will remind you to take a few minutes to yourself.

Why does this method work?

There are tons of benefits to it; however, I will speak of one that I find to be the best example. Let's say someone tells you to stop thinking about it.

Just for amusement, try not to think about a pink dog. Really try to not think about how fluffy it is. How happy it is wagging its tail. Bet you are smiling a bit that you just are unable to stop thinking about that adorable pink dog, probably questioning the owners and wondering if it is some form of animal abuse.

Ok, ok, you get the picture. The method. Try it when you're finished reading.

Close your eyes, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7, exhale slowly for 8 sec, DON'T BREATHE IN.......hold for 7 seconds........ and repeat.

What will happen is you are now redirecting the mind to focus on something other than that pesky fucked up thought looping in your mind. Feel the air where it touches as you breathe in, feel where it goes, what expands? Your chest? Your belly? You get the point. Feel it, rinse and repeat it as many times as you wish.

You have to feel the magic of it, and you will, with plenty of practice.

That's all I've got in the tank today, more to come as this venture continues.