Episode Details

Whose thoughts are they, actually? Mostly your parents', your grandparents', your teachers'. Overthinking is not your fault, which is the good news and the bad news at once.

At 40 I was single, out of money, on benefits, and my chair had broken. I would sleep ninety minutes and wake to thoughts that would not stop, and that went on for weeks. I was a terrible meditator and still am. You cannot turn a negative thought into a positive one by deciding to. You sit in the station and let the trains go past.

One thing to try: Watch one thought arrive and do nothing about it. That is the entire skill.

In this episode

• (0:06) Really simple. Not easy, but simple. You are not your thoughts
• (1:45) Noticing how they just show up for no reason at all
• (3:48) You have evolved for millions of years. Think about that
• (5:05) Forty years old, single, no money, and a broken chair
• (6:52) Ninety minutes of sleep, then thoughts that would not stop
• (8:22) Being a terrible meditator, and trying it anyway
• (10:12) Sitting in the station, letting the trains go by
• (16:41) Falling in love with a car or a dress, and how that works

With gratitude to

Audra and John, and the monthly subscribers.

The companion meditation: A Dharma Meditation Beyond Overthinking

Support the podcast and join the Weekly Calm: stevenwebb.uk

Thank you for listening.

Steven

Links to Steven Webb's podcast and how you can support his work.

• Donate paypal.me/stevenwebb or Coffee stevenwebb.uk
• Steven's courses, podcasts and links: stevenwebb.uk