Thoughts and facts

I am re-reading a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a well-known meditation teacher, and who happens to be the author of "Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life", my recommendation of the month.

A short but powerful sentance that he wrote has lingered with me.  It is "A thought is not a fact".   So much of our awake time is distracted by thinking, usually about the past and the future, and inaccurately.  Our mind and judgement may cause us to re-write or mis-remember events, and anticipate what may lie ahead with apprehension:  such uncontrolled thought processes can be destructive and cause emotional discomfort if not damage.

So, that brief phrase of Jon Kabat-Zinn is a pithy and helpful reminder about where truth and reality lie.  As I find my mind wandering from time to time, it helps me to return to my centre and my present, to be and see who I am, and to recognise the facts of my life.  

Much food for "thought" is it not?