Matt Haig Quotes

Almost all our suffering is the product of our thoughts. We spend nearly every moment of our lives lost in thought, and hostage to the character of those thoughts. You can break this spell, but it takes training just like it takes training to defend yourself against a physical assault.

Mindfulness allows us to watch our thoughts, see how one thought leads to the next, decide if we're heading down an unhealthy path, and, if so, let go and change directions.

It's not possible to have a problem without believing a prior thought. To notice this simple truth is the beginning of peace.

I let my personal feelings take care of themselves. I find that works better.

We are not a victim of our emotions or thoughts. We can understand our triggers and use them as tools to help us respond more objectively.

It's soothing to realize that my mind's processes are inherently uncontrollable.

I still have a lot of those depressive thoughts, but now I have the foresight to tell myself, 'Don't think like that,' and things seem better.

There have been many occasions when I found it helpful to talk out loud to my own thoughts, ordering the unwholesome ones to go off somewhere and jump into the river.

I have received a great deal of benefit from the simple yet difficult practice of learning to stop the internal voice in my head. I learned that the voice isn't me, and I don't need to keep rethinking events of the past nor overthink plans for the future. This skill has helped me both to focus and to pause before responding to unexpected events.

Write down your fears. Write down your thoughts. Write down the feelings you want to have. Just release it, don't ignore it. It's a lot easier said than done, but once you start practicing some of those things, you'll realize that you have a lot more control over your thoughts, your feelings.

We cannot expect to be in control of the circumstances in our lives when we cannot control our minds for five minutes. Meditation is the daily minimum requirement that will prevent us from breaking down and falling apart at the most inopportune moments. It is the art of listening. It is a practice which enables us to tune in and fine-tune the key areas of our lives: the mind and the spirit.

We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.

A man were better relate himself to a statue or picture than to suffer his thoughts to pass in smother.

Our thoughts are certainly part of us; they come from us, but we are not our thoughts. Have you ever woken up in the morning and said to yourself, 'I am not going to think today; I am too tired'? No, of course not. Just as breathing happens and is constant, thoughts happen, and they are also constant.

We teach people that they upset themselves. We can't change the past, so we change how people are thinking, feeling and behaving today.

I don't torture myself.

The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.

It may take practice to think more positively and more compassionately, but just as you must train a puppy to behave the way you want it to, you must train your mind to behave itself. Otherwise, like the puppy, your mind will just make a lot of messes.

Meditation is a lifelong process. Give it a try. As you get deeper and more disciplined into the process, you'll get deeper and more disciplined in your mind and life.

Emotions are products of our mind, and we can actually train ourselves to choose whether we banish or embrace them.

I don't mess around with my subconscious.

I realized that if my thoughts immediately affect my body, I should be careful about what I think. Now if I get angry, I ask myself why I feel that way. If I can find the source of my anger, I can turn that negative energy into something positive.

Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission.

I try to keep away exterior events that are going to make me do something negative internally to myself.

It is a challenge at times, but trying to stay centered and balanced helps me keep things in perspective.