The Very Human Part of Learning

All of us at Insight Principles

The Very Human Part of Learning 

Emotions are a totally normal human experience. However, when we start to realize that our experience of life is created via thought from inside our minds, a curious thing can happen: we might feel like we “should” be able to manage or control our thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

But here’s the deal: we’re still human after learning Insight Principles. Speed bumps happen to all humans on the journey toward deeper understanding. Some of the folks on our Insight Principles team have been teaching the principles for decades – they still encounter speed bumps, too. We all have our moments. Even those who have had deep realizations about the true nature of reality find themselves with less desirable thinking from time to time. When this happens, we’d like to offer a bit of grace.

Our programs describe the mechanics of the human operating system. This operating system is so tight that it immediately delivers the experience of whatever you’re thinking in the moment. Sometimes, thoughts arrive out of nowhere and completely hijack your day. They fly in, make themselves comfortable, and dominate the portfolio of your mental real estate for however long they stick around. Even when you don’t want them to stick around.

This doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your understanding. It doesn’t mean that you’re not doing a good job. It simply means that you’re a human being having a human experience. Trying to resist thoughts you don’t like is like trying to put toothpaste back into a toothpaste tube. They’re there. They exist. It’s ok. With time, they will dissipate. And thanks to the perfect design of your mind, you don’t need to do or control or manage anything to make this happen. Landing in a less than perfect feeling state simply means your mind is working exactly as designed – thoughts show up, consciousness illuminates them, and your feelings follow suit. Repeat to infinity and beyond. It’s the most natural thing in the world.

Although we can’t control what comes into our heads, we can start to see thought as temporary and transitory. It doesn’t have power beyond what we give it. And since thought is always changing, we can know, and I mean deeply know, that another experience will arise when this one floats away. This helps us have patience and grace with ourselves in our more human moments. Instead of trying to control something uncontrollable, we simply learn to gently look for a better feeling without all the striving and “shoulding”.

The ups and downs (and all-arounds) are a normal and natural part of the process of being a human on planet earth. Finding yourself in a mood doesn’t mean that you didn’t retain anything from your Insight Principles program. On the contrary, noticing your moods is one of the best indications that you, like all of us, are still learning.

With love,

Nikki Platte