Thoughts are like water: calm or chaotic, superfluous or deep, disturbing or serene, positive or depressing. Whatever their nature, they are unceasing; ever flowing.

It is said that you become what you think and so you should think positive, cut out depressing thoughts, suggest to your mind to always be on a high, think of success and achievement, be truthful and honest, humble and kind, think with integrity and responsibility, sensitivity and love. 

It awes me that people can actually do that. Doesn’t work that way for some of us, including me. In fact, it sounds unnatural. I cannot be consistently positive, good, kind, understanding, giving, disciplined, politically correct, truthful, or caring in thoughts. It is much easier to be all that in deed, perhaps because purposeful actions are usually more considered and our conscious mind compels us to live up to an image we have of ourselves. In thought, I can be quite another person with a dark side. It balances the scales. A friend tells me that everyone has a dark side; though I don’t know that for sure.

I sometimes think if people could hear what I am actually thinking, many would probably avoid me like the plague. But if everyone does indeed have a dark side, then you’d know what I am talking about.

It seems to me that magic lies in letting your thoughts be heard: If you can be ‘real’ with someone who ‘gets’ you; someone with whom you can bring the guard down and whom you would permit to truly explore your mind, and vice-versa, life would be so much richer. It would be one amazing journey. Many of us live our whole lives not finding that person though we may be surrounded by a number of people who we believe are close to us. But is there even one who is close enough for us to be real with? Often, we are not real even with ourselves, let alone with another person. You need courage to be real, for what you discover about yourself and about the other may be disconcerting.

Of course, you might not come across as the most glamorous, sweet or beautiful thing there is, but you’d be so very blessed to show your real, vulnerable side to someone and be accepted, even appreciated. There can be nothing more intimate than exploring another’s mind. In that wonderful exploratory journey, you discover yourself and another human being. Allowing someone to do that is, to me, the greatest show of trust. Is there someone you connect with in that way? Hold on to them.  They are the greatest treasure you will find.

I think all kinds of thoughts. Good, bad, ugly. Expanding the mind comes with thinking; doesn’t necessarily have to be a specific kind of thinking. You could direct it in pursuance of a line of thought, but the line does not always need to be ‘positive’, or ‘right’, ‘correct’, ‘nice’, ‘acceptable’ or ‘good’.

It is my right to be ‘wrong’ then. Exercising that right here. Join me.