Becoming The Observer
In the busy flow of life, most of us are caught up in our thoughts. We identify with them, believing that we are what we think. But this idea, though widely accepted, is misleading. What if I told you that you are not your thoughts? You are not even the thinker behind those thoughts. Instead, you are something deeper, something unchanging—the observer.
The Thinker Is Not the Thought
Thoughts are like clouds, constantly shifting and changing with time. One day you might feel joy, the next sadness; your opinions on life might change, just as your experiences do. Yet, through all these changes, there is something within you that remains constant—the observer. This is the part of you that notices the thoughts as they come and go, unaffected by their content.
If the thinker were truly the thought, you would change as your thoughts do. But that’s not the case. Just as the sky remains while clouds pass through, you remain while thoughts pass through your awareness. Thoughts may evolve, but the observer never changes.
The Unharmed Observer
One of the most comforting truths about this observer is that it cannot be hurt or harmed. While life’s challenges, emotional pain, and difficult circumstances may impact your thoughts and feelings, the observer stays untouched. It is the core of your being, the calm beneath the surface turbulence of the mind.
Think about it: no matter how much the mind judges, criticizes, or reacts, there is always an awareness underneath it that simply notices. That awareness—the real you—remains unscathed, ever-present, and unconditionally whole.
The Struggle: Letting Go of Judgment
Perhaps the hardest part of life is to stop using the mind to judge, categorize, and control. The mind loves to label things as good or bad, right or wrong. It wants to control every experience by fitting it into boxes of understanding. This is where we get stuck, wrapped up in our thoughts, and disconnected from the true experience of life.
But when you become the observer, you release the need to judge. You simply allow life to unfold and experience it as it is. Rather than trying to control or resist discomfort, you embrace the present moment fully, accepting whatever comes your way. It’s a shift from thinking to being, from controlling to allowing.
A Poetic Reflection
Here is a poem to capture this deeper truth of what it means to move beyond the mind’s judgments and embrace the observer within:
The Silent Witness
I am not the thoughts that come and go,
Nor the thinker who believes to know.
For thoughts, like clouds, drift and fade,
Changing forms in light and shade.
The thinker shifts with time and tide,
Yet deep within, I still reside.
The silent witness, ever clear,
Watching thoughts, year after year.
Though thoughts may dance, evolve, and flee,
The observer stays, forever free.
Untouched by pain, unharmed by strife,
I am the stillness beyond all life.
So let the mind and moments pass,
I am the peace that will always last.
This poem speaks to the unchanging nature of the observer within us all. It serves as a reminder that, no matter what happens in the outer world or within the mind, the observer remains—unaffected, peaceful, and eternal.
Practical Steps to Becoming the Observer
Becoming the observer of your mind rather than identifying with your thoughts is a skill you can develop with practice. Here are a few ways to cultivate this shift:
1. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness meditation teaches you to notice your thoughts without getting caught up in them. Sit quietly, observe your thoughts, and gently bring your attention back to your breath or the present moment whenever your mind wanders.
2. Embrace discomfort: As you let go of judgment, you may encounter discomfort. Instead of reacting, practice simply observing the discomfort. Feel it fully, without labeling it as good or bad.
3. Release the need for control: Life is unpredictable, and so are your thoughts. Letting go of the need to control both your thoughts and life itself opens up space for acceptance and peace.
4. Return to the present: The mind tends to focus on the past or future, creating anxiety and stress. By grounding yourself in the present, you can experience life as it is, without the filter of judgment.
Becoming the observer is a journey. It takes time to shift from judging and controlling to simply being, but the peace and clarity that come from this practice are profound. When you can truly let go of the mind’s judgments and embrace the present, you connect with your deepest self—the one that cannot be hurt, the one that remains free and whole, no matter what life brings.