U/B 20: Dangerous thoughts are more interesting
But not necessarily true. Write them down anyway.
Here’s your reminder to choose what is useful and/or beautiful.
Hi! Thank you for being here.
Are you one of those people who work well under stress? I am not. I need space to meander, wonder, and take a crap-ton of notes that will never get used verbatim but that help me work through ideas. If I’m under pressure, that writing is contrived. Lifeless.
Serendipitously, a friend sent me a youtube link this week of John O’Donohue, the Irish poet and philosopher, speaking about imagination. I guffawed at his comment that most people’s personal writing is “so dead the state coroner wouldn’t find a pulse.”1
He goes on to say that the alternative (to dead writing) is keeping A Diary of My Most Dangerous Thoughts.
In our contemporary world, it’s very hard to find places where you can show your heart.
And I think that a diary, created like this, is a place where you can actually talk to yourself. Because there’s a an awful difference between thinking a thing and writing it down. Because in the act of writing it down, something totally changes. The thing becomes part of yourself.
My current journals do not contain My Most Dangerous Thoughts. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been a bit stuck.
Note: This is cheating, by the way. Writing about the concept of Most Dangerous Thoughts without actually sharing any. Like how talking about leadership isn’t actually leadership. It feels like trying to take credit for something you aren’t doing.
On that note…
A thought can be dangerous if you believe it is true.
Your brain would like you to think that thoughts are true. It’s just doing its job, trying to keep you alive. And you are! So it’s working. Maybe? You might be happier, however, perhaps more loving if you let go of the conviction around particular thoughts.
How well can you spot a thought that pretends to be true? Check out this list of universal beliefs from Byron Katie. See if you’ve been believing any of them lately. Then ask yourself Is that thought helping me? Is it useful? Is it beautiful? Do I need that thought?
If you choose to keep a Diary of My Most Dangerous Thoughts, it might be wise to remind yourself from time to time that they are just that: thoughts.
A paradox: I believe it’s not wise to cling to what I think is right. I think I’m right about this.
Firm beliefs, loosely held?
Thank you for reading my words. Your attention is a gift.
Love,
Kate
Like this letter? Will you help others get value from it, too? Please tap the heart, forward it, restack, share on your socials. Thank you.
If you’d like to create more magical experiences in your life, reply this email or send me a DM. I coach curious, kind people to see beyond their perception and transform their lives.
More about writing down your most dangerous thoughts
I recommend the whole recording but at least start at the 29:59 where he says “If you’re a former baby, then you can imagine…”