But what if they aren’t?

Dennis Davis, author of Beyond the Mind: Awakening to Your True Self, invites us to consider a radical possibility: you are not your thoughts. You are the awareness that notices them.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲

It’s easy to assume that thinking equals being. After all, we spend most of our lives lost in thought. But Dennis explains that while the mind is a powerful tool for creating, solving problems, and navigating daily life, it becomes a source of suffering when we believe every thought without question.

Negative self-talk, fear-based projections and judgments are just thoughts. When we believe them, we live from a place of anxiety and limitation, forgetting the deeper peace that lies within us.

𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐫?

Take a moment now. Notice the next thought that appears.

It might be about your schedule, your phone, or even your reaction to reading this. Can you see that you are aware of this thought? If you can notice it, then it cannot be who you truly are.

This realization opens a space—a small but powerful gap—between you and your thoughts. In that space, there is freedom.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

When you identify completely with your mind, you may experience:

• ● Anxiety about the future
• ● Regret about the past
• ● Constant comparison with others
• ● Self-criticism and harsh judgments

These thoughts feel real and urgent, but they are just mental patterns repeating themselves. Dennis writes that freedom comes when we stop seeing these patterns as the essence of who we are.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Dennis suggests practical ways to begin experiencing yourself as the observer, not the thinker:

• ● 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Spend a few minutes daily simply noticing thoughts as they arise without engaging or resisting them.
• ● 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬: While drinking water or walking, place your full attention on the experience, noticing each sensation instead of being lost in thought.
• ● 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭: When a thought feels heavy or stressful, gently ask, “Is this true?” or “Does believing this serve me right now?”

These simple practices can help you shift from living at the mercy of your thoughts to living with quiet clarity and deeper presence.

𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀:

“𝐷𝘰𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝘦𝑒𝘬 𝘺𝑜𝘶𝑟𝘴𝑒𝘭𝑓 𝑖𝘯 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘮𝑖𝘯𝑑. 𝘉𝑒 𝑝𝘳𝑒𝘴𝑒𝘯𝑡. 𝘉𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝘳𝑒 𝑎𝘴 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘰𝑏𝘴𝑒𝘳𝑣𝘦𝑟 𝑜𝘧 𝘵ℎ𝘦 𝘮𝑖𝘯𝑑.”

When you learn to rest in awareness, thoughts lose their power to control you. You begin to experience a spaciousness within yourself that is calm, clear, and deeply alive.

𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲

If you’re ready to stop letting your thoughts define your reality and want to discover the peace that comes from living in presence, Dennis Davis’s book Beyond the Mind: Awakening to Your True Self offers clear, compassionate guidance to support your journey.

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: Dennis Davis on Amazon