We’re going to get pretty Jedi today. It’s very subtle, though. Here we go… I’d like to introduce the phrase “tiny, mad idea.” This refers to that first seemingly true thought that enters our mind and begins to hijack our peace. Everyday examples include, “This suck,” “I failed,” “It’s her fault,” “Just my luck,” etc. Since it’s just one little thought, and one that is probably pretty familiar, we don’t even notice it. Or better yet, we don’t notice the power of it. It has power because it snowballs until we’re in a pretty bad mood. It’s all about the snowball! I’d like to help train you to notice that one tiny, mad idea before it snowballs and hijacks your peace. When you learn to notice it, you can drop it like the bad habit that it is. And you can laugh at the fact that it ever had any power over you in the first place. It takes practice and persistence, but you’re probably going to live a while longer anyway, so why not?
We’ve been talking about just this kind of mental hygiene or mental discipline all along here at A Clean Mind; this is just a new term to describe exactly what to be on the lookout for. The phrase “tiny, mad idea” originally comes from A Course In Miracles, which is my bible. I recently mentioned the awesome book Spirit Junkie by Gabby Bernstein. She’s a student (and teacher) of the Course, just like I am. Her description of the tiny, mad idea has really helped me to simplify it, and that’s what I’m writing about here.
By the way, as I’ve said before, that book is pretty sweet – it could help speed things up for lots of folks today. So check it out and see if it feels right for you. If not, no big deal. It’s all about becoming one with spirit and guidance. You’re hardwired for this, right now at this very second. This is true! And it’s meant to be experienced and not just believed. Spirit will show you what’s up if you sincerely ask. This often comes in the form of synchronicities that act as little signs that you’re on the right path. You have to pay attention, though. Back to the story…
So the tiny, mad idea is simply any thought that comes from fear, specialness, separation, or ego (which just means the part of you that thinks it’s really separate from everything else). After all, they’re basically the same. And as we’ll talk about more and more, they’re not even real (and trust me – I realize that they seem pretty darn real). These are the thoughts that are designed to take you out of peace. When you notice them and don’t do anything about them, the process of feeling bad is underway. The voice in the head will keep talking until you feel awful. Instead, you can stop after that first thought and examine it. Is it true? Do you know it’s 100% true? Probably not… So let it go. Drop it. And it’s gone, just like that. Now you’re out of your head and you have some peace. Will these thoughts come back? Of course! That’s their job. But now you know what to do – just let go of them as they come.
When you’ve done this analysis enough and you’ve seen firsthand that these thoughts based on fear and specialness are not true, then you can skip the analysis and the questions of truth. You’ve already been there and done that, and you know these thoughts intimately by now. You know how they feel. So when you notice them now, you can just drop them in an instant and with a laugh. They don’t have power over you anymore. They can’t snowball anymore.
Gabby talks about witnessing them, and that term really works for me. It takes the personal sting totally out of it. Gone! I see right away that each of these thoughts comes from a part of me that thinks it’s really separate from everything else. The mystics have always said we’re not truly separate, and then the badass physicists made the same discovery in the early 1900’s (quantum physics). So if a thought comes from separation, then I know right away that it’s not even real! So I drop it like a hot potato. After a while, you’ll be amazed that these thoughts were ever allowed to snowball in the first place. As I said above, though, it does take practice and persistence. But again, you’re probably going to live a while longer anyway, so what do you have to lose? There’s certainly lots of peace to gain.
I’ve been amazed lately as I’ve been witnessing these thoughts and just letting them go. It’s just so easy. I’ve also been awed at the recognition that each of these little thoughts is what starts the “no peace” snowball that grows and grows. When it grows enough, you’re in a funk. I don’t like that term, by the way, because I’m a musician and I love funky music. Funk is a great thing! So let’s just say that when it grows enough, you feel really bad. When you find yourself feeling this way, that’s your signal to stop and take a look for the last time you felt fine. What happened in between? Very simple – one tiny, mad idea slipped by your “mental goalie” and it was on. Don’t get down on yourself for letting it slip by – no beating yourself up! Just learn from it and go forward trying to be more vigilant. If you have this attitude, then it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be on your game. So be on the lookout for the tiny, mad idea and don’t give it the respect that it’s gotten in the past. After all, it really doesn’t deserve it. Witness it and let it go just like that. And feel free to laugh or breathe a sigh of relief because you don’t have to be in the snowball business anymore.