Open Journal

January 30th, 2025

“The moment you realize you are not your thoughts, is the moment you become free. “- Eckhart Tolle

I was sitting on the couch, reading. I didn’t want to stop reading to wash my hair.

“I am tired”, my mind burped , in trying to keep me reading. I could feel the pull of comfort, the desire to stay rooted and not disturb this quiet moment.

Somehow, I got up. Push myself to stand and walked to the bathroom.

When I turned on the hot water , it felt like pure heaven. The steam wrapped around me like a warm hug. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to feel it.

The water flowed over me, warm and soothing. I felt every drop, for a couple of moments I just stood there.

A warm feeling grew inside me. I realized I was feeling grateful. Grateful for the water cascading over me, for the privilege of a space to cleanse myself , for allowing myself to have this moment.

How often do I stop to appreciate something as simple as a shower? How often do I take these moments for granted?

There was a quiet lesson there, one that I had to pause and reflect on: how often do I let my thoughts dictate my actions ? How many times I have allowed “I am tired” to rule so many moments of my life? What other thoughts have I allowed to do the same ?

In that moment, I realized how often I let my thoughts dictate my actions , how thoughts keep us prisoners if we don’t recognize their true nature and how my entire life has been shaped by thought.