“You cannot quiet the mind, you can only watch it.”—Naval
I’ve been thinking a lot about this Naval quote recently. I’ve also been trying to put it into practice.
When tired, flustered, or annoyed, I’ll often try and force my mind into tranquility.
Sounds oxymoronic now that I write it out.
Just like we can’t force sleep at the end of the day, it’s hard—or close to impossible—to force ourselves into a state of calm.
Over the past few years, I’ve found the mindfulness apps, like Headspace and Calm, to be helpful. They encourage users to practise observing their thoughts. The observation happens without judgement, and without manipulation of emotions or reactions.
The positive second-order consequence of this practice is that the mind ends up quietening after it’s had a chance to observe, acknowledge, and let go.