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Jenna, my wife bought a swan raft for

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the pool. I hated it. I thought it

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was an eye saw. It was like 4

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feet long by 2 feet or 3 feet

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high.

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Guess what happened when I had that thought.

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I got angry at the raft.

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I complained to my friends. I took pictures

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of it and sent it to them. I

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told Jenna, it was too big and ugly.

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That's what happens when you add fuel

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to negative thoughts.

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The fire grows bigger, you get even more

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agitated.

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Fortunately,

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I've been practicing mindfulness.

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And about 23 hours later,

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I was able to drop back.

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I became aware of my thoughts rather than

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becoming my thoughts.

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Once I became aware of my thoughts, I

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asked myself this question.

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Who is this person

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telling me the raft is an eye saw?

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When I looked for the look,

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I couldn't find them.

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That's because the ego is an illusion. The

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raft isn't an eye sore

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the raft isn't ugly.

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Those are labels,

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a story my ego made up.

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The raft just is.

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It's a piece of plastic floating in the

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pool.

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It's our perceptions, not external events

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that disturb us.

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Whenever I'm able to observe my thoughts,

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I turn down the volume.

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I feel calm

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and peaceful.

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The opposite is also true.

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I am definitely a work in progress

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in this area.

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Are you?