Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Reflections on Higher Principles

I’ve learned the hard way that the mind is convincing—but not always honest.

For a long time, I assumed that if a thought showed up, it deserved my attention and my belief. If it repeated itself, I trusted it even more. What I didn’t realize was that I was confusing mental activity with truth.

One of the higher principles that changed my life is this: a thought is something that happens, not something that has authority.

Not long ago, I received a short message late in the evening. No warmth. No context. Just a few words that could be interpreted any number of ways.

My mind didn’t hesitate.

It told me I had disappointed someone.

It told me I had missed something obvious.

It told me I should have known better by now.

By the time I noticed what was happening, my body was already tense. Nothing had actually gone wrong—but I was living as if it had.

The next day, the conversation turned out to be simple. Neutral. Even supportive.

Nothing outside of me caused that stress. I created it by believing a thought.

I’ve learned that the mind is a tool—until we let it run us.

When thinking is helpful, I use it. When it becomes repetitive, judgmental, or fear-based, I pause.

Just because a thought feels true doesn’t mean it is.

What changed things for me wasn’t better thinking, but clearer seeing.

When I notice a thought as a thought, it loosens its grip. I don’t argue with it. I don’t replace it. I simply don’t follow it.

That space is where clarity shows up.

Higher principles don’t demand better thinking. They invite a better relationship with the mind.

I still think. I still plan. I still imagine outcomes.

But I no longer assume my thoughts are in charge.

And that’s where freedom quietly begins.

May you learn to pause before believing your thoughts.

May you recognize the difference between what appears in the mind and what is true.

May clarity replace certainty, and understanding soften judgment.

And may you rest in the quiet knowing that you are more than anything you think.