The essential insight-that thoughts and feelings come and go, and that we may have thoughts, but they do not have us-can spark a small revolution in anyone open to the teaching. Mindfulness helps us watch the mind without judging, or getting carried away with a story about how its thoughts are good or bad, inappropriate or anything other than simply thoughts arising and fading away. It wakes us up out of sleepwalking or escalating our way through life, and develops and deepens our capacity for awareness in the moment. Mindfulness helps us to stop in our tracks, and take a breath. The essential insight-that thoughts and feelings come and go, and that we may have thoughts, but they do not have us-can spark a small revolution in anyone open to the teaching. I admit my awfulizing tendency somewhat tentatively, but also assured that I am not the only person occasionally prone to these kinds of “habits of mind.” I also share this because I believe that difficult mental and emotional patterns can teach us a lot about developing positive patterns, if we approach our tendencies mindfully, compassionately, and with gratefulness. Then, unconsciously, we can begin to act in ways that corroborate and buttress our negative beliefs, creating additional reasons and reinforcing experiences to justify a dour outlook.įinally, with way too many moments (hopefully not hours or days) slipped by, we can find ourselves with a big, brooding, bummed-out, self-righteous worldview with which to contend. Like a big magnet, the original negative thought starts seeking and amassing all forms of reinforcing experiences, data, and external validation – picking up more train cars along the way. This is the “engine.” Negative thoughts and/or feelings begin attaching themselves to responding to this event, like cars on a train.Īfter a period of repetitive indulgence, the negative thoughts and beliefs begin building a story and making a case to prove themselves true and/or worthy, and the engine starts chugging down the tracks. Something difficult or disappointing happens, or we hear some “bad” news. The distinguishing qualities of a negative train of thought would be somewhat as follows: I used to be a person who, though unusually optimistic and resilient in many ways, could often be prone to a negative train of thought I now playfully refer to as “awful-izing.” I have also heard this propensity called “catastrophizing.” Regardless, once aboard this train, it can take you a long way down some dark tracks before you realize you are not at all where you hoped or intended to be. I thought I could."Īnd singing its triumph, it rushed on down toward the valley.Difficult mental and emotional patterns can teach us a lot about developing positive patterns, if we approach our tendencies mindfully, compassionately, and with gratefulness. 'I -think- I- can-I- thought-I-could I- thought- I- could.
It passed over the top of the hill and began crawling down the opposite slope. Higher and higher it climbed, and its voice grew fainter and its words came slower: Then it reached the grade, but its voice could still be heard: "I think I can.
The coupling was made and the engine began its journey, and all along the level, as it rolled toward the ascent, it kept repeating to itself: "I -think -I can. So the order was circulated, and the engine was started back so that it might be coupled with the train, and as it went along the rails it kept repeating to itself: "I think I can.
The superintendent was much puzzled, but he turned to still another engine that was spick and span new, and he asked it: He then went to another great engine and asked: "It is a very heavy train," responded the engine. The superintendent of the yard was not sure what it was best for him to do, so he went up to a large, strong engine and asked: In a certain railroad yard there stood an extremely heavy train that had to be drawn up an unusually heavy grade before it could reach its destination. If you'd like to help, please review the help pages. This work may need to be standardized using Wikisource's style guidelines. 1194962 Story of the Engine that Thought It Could 1906 Charles S.
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