The document discusses the nature of thinking and provides suggestions for managing excessive or negative thoughts. It notes that thinking can either feel controlled or uncontrolled and can lead to worry, rumination, stress, and anxiety. It recommends practicing mindfulness to live in the present moment and challenge negative thoughts in order to move forward. Managing one's thinking is important for mental wellbeing.

1. and celebrate who you are
Challenge Thinking

2. Every day you move
forward with your mind

3. and your body shuffles along...

4. Every moment that you
decide to be here with us

5. you are making an active
choice to be a part of all of
this

6. whatever this is

7. and every day you know
just a little more than the
day before

8. so you can
move forward

9. and every day
you get closer

10. to knowing more about

11. what it is that you want

12. which is something you don’t
know about as much as you
would like

13. and that is the story of
your experience

14. now you will not know
what is coming next

15. and predictions about
what is to come will only
get you so far

16. but you can be rest assured that

17. what is coming

18. will involve you

19. and will most certainly be

20. something you never
could have imagined

21. thinking can make it feel as if
you are in complete control

22. and thinking can also
make it feel as if you
have no control at all

23. excessive
thinking can
turn into
worry or
rumination

24. rumination
can worsen
and lead to
stress and
anxiety
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25. Thinking is
weird

26. we still only
know very
little about
how the
mind works

27. now for the
most part
thinking is a
normal part
of you

28. it is something that has
always been with you

29. it is as if
you have
had your
own
personal
musician

30. following
you around
since you
were young

31. playing tunes

32. in the background of your
experience

33. and thinking can be more
debilitating

34. depending on what you are
going through

35. and how you are feeling

36. you can try to bring your
thinking under your
control by force

37. but that is like trying to
stop the flow of water
from an exploding fire
hydrant

38. thinking can
even make it
feel like you
are a prisoner
of your own
reality

39. when this
happens it
can feel like
the world is
closing in on
you
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40. and it can
feel like you
are losing
control
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41. it is like
that
slipping
feeling

42. you get from
missing a step
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43. some times
those
feelings can
really stay
with you
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44. that's not a
head space
that anyone
wants to be
in
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45. especially not you!
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46. one way you can guard
against excessive thinking
and worry is to practice
mindfulness

47. mindfulness is about
living every single
moment

48. as if it were a moment that you
had a responsibility to be in...

49. mindfulness can help you
to be more aware of
yourself

50. and help you in
challenging negative
thoughts

51. so that your brain is not fried
from stress

52. it is one thing to know about
the benefits of mindfulness

53. it can be quite another
thing to actually practice
it in your day to day

54. this is because sometimes
you can get really stuck in
negative thinking
patterns

55. your mind can become fixated
on what is behind you

56. or obsess
over what
is to come

57. excessive
thinking
over what
you cannot
control can
quickly get
out of hand

58. or even turn
into
something
ugly

59. your experience of reality
shifts based on your
perception
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60. thinking can shrink
your perception

61. if you ruminate for long enough
you may even start to anticipate
negative outcomes

62. and it can feel like
everything is out
to get you

63. but you can challenge your
thoughts

64. and escape negative
thinking patterns you find
yourself stuck in

65. It is necessary if you want to
move forward
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66. and if you are suffering from
mental illness
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67. it can be particularly difficult
for you to challenge your
thoughts

68. but no one
else can do
what you do

69. So please be
kind to
yourself

70. You must be your own
champion

71. and do good things for yourself
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72. whatever that may mean
for you

73. You see
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74. You are an intricate pattern
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75. like a dance of colors on the
surface of a glass pane

76. in every moment you are a
completely different pattern
than in the moment
previous
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77. literally your bodily organs,
fluids and processes are in a
continual state of flux

78. and boy ; that mind of yours

79. is it ever moving

80. The only
constant is
change
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81. You have a
great journey
ahead

82. and really you've only just
started to get to the bottom
of this thing called life

83. Step
forward
with
confidence

84. The time is
now to
celebrate the
unique
pattern that
makes
you...well
YOU