How To Recognize Conflicting Thoughts

We all have conflicting thoughts. Well, I should say we all keep conflicting thoughts for the time being.

Conflicting thoughts are thoughts that are opposite in meaning, yet we believe them both.

Even defining it so plainly reveals how crazy it is to have these conflicting thoughts.

Yet every day we entertain one or more.

Some common conflicting thoughts include:

• “I don’t know why bad things happen to me” vs “I love drama”
• “The mind controls the body” vs “my body is sick”
• “People really are nice at heart” vs “people suck”

The purpose of this article is not to list out all of your conflicting thoughts, but to help you live more in harmony with yourself.

This can be accomplished by first recognizing what your conflicting thoughts are. And secondly, by choosing just one (hopefully the thought aligned with truth).

Let’s jump in!

Others will tell you

We can sometimes become so wrapped up in our own ego that we become unconscious of what we actually believe, think, and say.

Luckily, we have mirrors (those around us) to remind us.

For whatever reason, people love proving others wrong and calling out their faults, especially kids.

So you’re surrounded by amazingly eager participants willing to show you your conflicting thoughts.

When confronted openly about these conflicting thoughts, there’s a tendency to react by directing anger toward the messenger.

But when you see the reality of this situation, you can understand that the messenger just did you a HUGE favor.

They have just brought to light some conflicting thoughts that you were unaware of.

At this moment you have a choice. You can defend your beliefs as if truth itself needs someone to fight for it. Or you can take a moment to reflect and see if there is some truth to what the person is revealing to you.

It takes practice, but you’ll get it.

You find yourself feeling uneasy, angry, or sick

Despite the common belief, sickness is not normal.

Seeing the above statement now is so blatantly obvious to me, but there was a time when it wasn’t. I believed that it was natural to get sick and that there was nothing I could do about it.

I believed that something was natural that could never be natural. It’s like living death, fighting peace, or lying for the truth…obvious conflicts that we’ve merged into one.

Since as so above, so below…what you believe inside is reflected outside.

In this case, this inner mental conflict reveals itself as bodily conflict reinforcing that the mind controls the body. Yet we sometimes believe that the body has a mind of its own. And it does. It’s yours. 😀

Photo by Josue & Kerry of Friday Feels Production

This conflict also reveals itself in anger and uneasiness.

You would only be angry if someone reveals something that goes both against your belief and for your belief.

For example, let’s say someone calls you stupid.

If you’re content in your genius-ness, then you would brush off this attempt at an insult because it’s obviously absurd.

Yet if deep down you believe that you are stupid, then conflict or anger will arise. There’s conflict because you are trying to prove to others that you are smart without having truly accepted it for yourself.

It’s time to start using these perceived anger and/or sick times as triggers to practice seeing the miracle of moving toward a united mind.

Being present with what you’re teaching/saying (the advice you give others)

You are always teaching. You are always sharing. They are one and the same.

If for example, I say, “Eating chicken is bad for you.” You may be quick to teach or share why it is or isn’t.

We unconsciously do this. And by doing this unconsciously, we are setting up our own limits.

We are making the parameters for how we are to live. And if we don’t abide by these, conflict arises.

The conflict is there because you’ve set a rule yourself to live by, but you don’t live by it.

See how sneaky conflicting thoughts can be.

It’s not just there. It’s in the debates you have.

You may be so wrapped up in being right, that you don’t realize you’re righting something that you never wanted for yourself while denying what you do.

Fortunately, the fix is the same.

Be present at this moment.

Observe your thoughts as you think them.

Observe your words as you speak them.

This also takes practice. But once it’s perfected, nothing will ever bother you again.

You will be in perfect harmony within yourself always.

In conclusion

On this harmonic journey, try not to get frustrated if you don’t always succeed at overcoming the conflict.

To get frustrated would be to make further disharmony (more conflicting thoughts).

No more!

Here’s a song of mine to help.