Don't Believe Everything You Think

I’m Brandon Wilson. I am constantly working toward improving my mind, body, and spirit using various ancient techniques and cutting-edge biohacking tools and devices. I want to be healthy, but not at the expense of being happy. This simple idea is what it means to be wellthy.

For the reasonable price of $6 per month/$60 per year, you will receive valuable content, including access to the entire archive of over 240 newsletters, members-only content, audio voiceovers (with extra content and always read by me), participation in the brain training raffle to win monthly biohacking gift bags, and access to the Be Wellthy Club private Facebook group.

First time reading? Let’s get you in the club.

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It’s almost here! We are 10 days from the 11th Annual Biohacking Conference, May 28-30, 2025, in Austin, TX. If you’re looking for the next conference to attend, the Be Wellthy Conference Connection has you covered with various worldwide events, including virtual, and more added as I find them. I added a form to the directory to submit your email so I can notify you of upcoming and recently added events.

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We all have those places we love to go to. I know people who won’t drive by a Home Depot or Lowe’s without stopping in because they always need something for the house. For some people, it’s Starbucks, Michaels, Kohl’s, Target, etc. As a kid, I wanted to go to Toys R Us or what my dad called a “video game parlor.” As I got older and had more money, it was Sharper Image. Nowadays, my happy place is a bookstore. I prefer independent bookstores, and in downtown Brighton, MI, I visited the 2 Dandelions Bookshop.

I walked in and blazed past numerous fiction shelves (because who has time for fiction??) and went straight to the personal development section. I closed my eyes and sent an intention to the universe to show me a book I’m ready for. I took a deep breath and scanned the shelves. My eyes landed on a title I quoted in this newsletter before: Don’t Believe Everything You Think. I somehow knew instantly this was a message I was ready for.

As if to reinforce the selection, I opened James Clear’s weekly newsletter on May 8th, in which he shared his idea for three books that set someone up for success in life. He considered a book to master habits, one to master the mind, and one to master money. Of course, he recommended his best-selling book, Atomic Habits, but I had to chuckle when I saw the second recommendation: Don’t Believe Everything You Think.

In March, I shared the five-step framework that drives outcomes. Our beliefs are the foundation that leads to thoughts. Let’s explore thoughts in more detail.

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

The Root Cause of Suffering

Suffering is not the same as pain. A Buddhist teaching helps explain this concept. It is said that two arrows fly whenever we experience an adverse event. The first arrow causes pain. The second arrow is an emotional reaction to the first and is often even more painful. The second arrow is suffering. The Buddha explained, “In life, we can’t always control the first arrow. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The second arrow is optional.”

We live in a world of thought and not reality. Reality is the objective circumstance occurring without any meaning or judgment attached to it. Two people can be in the same environment and have radically different experiences. What we experience is our perception of reality. Any meaning or thinking we give to something is self-created and our choice. The root cause of our suffering is our thinking.

Thoughts Vs. Thinking

Thoughts are the energetic, mental raw materials our minds use to understand the world. Thoughts are neutral observations and insights that take little to no effort to produce. On the other hand, thinking is the judgment or opinion we have about our thoughts. Thinking takes a significant amount of energy, effort, and willpower. Remember that thought is a noun. It’s not something we do, but something we have. Thinking is a verb and is something we do.

Here are some examples of thoughts vs. thinking.

Situation: You lost your job

Thought: I lost my job.

Thinking: I’m not good enough. Everyone is judging me. How will I pay my bills? I’ll never recover from this. This is unfair.

Situation: You arrive at work and find it unfulfilling.

Thought: I want to quit my job.

Thinking: What if I can’t find another job? I might hate the next job even more. I’m not good enough to get another job or make an income on my own. Why would anyone hire me?

Situation: It is the weekend, and you are deciding what to do.

Thought: I want to start a new creative hobby.

Thinking: It’s a waste of time. I’m not creative. I’m not good at it. Other people are going to judge me.

Thoughts are infinite and expansive, making you feel excited, lighter, and alive. Thinking makes you feel heavy, restricted, and limited. Our emotions are an internal radar system that tells us if we are experiencing thoughts or have fallen into the trap of thinking. Here is a chart that illustrates the contrast between thoughts and thinking.

From Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen

This topic is less about learning and more about remembering what you already know. Our natural state of being is joy, love, and peace. Look no further than children for the evidence. Children are innately open, curious, happy, and full of wonder and laughter. Then they grow up, the conditioning and thinking kick in, and they have lost that spark of feeling joy.

“One who looks around him is intelligent; one who looks within him is wise.” —Matshona Dhliwayo

How to Let Go of Negative Thinking: PAUSE

Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed by your thinking, use this five-step process to practice letting go.

1. Pause and take deep breaths to calm your nervous system and ground yourself in the present. Be aware of your thinking, but do not judge it.

2. Ask yourself, “Is this thinking making me feel the way I want?” or “Do I want to keep suffering?”

3. Understand that you have the choice to stop and let go of it.

4. Say and repeat the mantra “Thinking is the root cause of suffering” to help quiet the mind from thinking until it subsides.

5. Experience your emotions fully without judgment or resistance. Don’t think; just feel.

Use negative emotions as a reminder that you are thinking. Repeat this process throughout the day to minimize time spent thinking and maintain a state of peace and love.

This short, easy-to-read book (170 pages) has profound insights, meaningful examples, and practical tips. If this topic resonates with you, I highly recommend it.

Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking is the Beginning & End of Suffering by Joseph Nguyen

Audiobook (Audible) or Audiobook (Libro.FM) or Kindle or Hardcover

(Note: These are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

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The Daily Habit is where I share my habits related to the fundamentals: sleep, diet, physical activity, mindfulness, and stress management.

“I am” is one of the most powerful thoughts and phrases. Be extremely careful what you think or say after the phrase “I am.” Make sure your thoughts align with the Future Self you want to become.

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Last week’s answer

Be Wellthy Club entrants: Scott S., Luke S., Scott L., Renata B., Veronica C.

Raffle prizes are for Be Wellthy Club Members only. Club members can email bewellthy@substack.com with the correct answer to each week’s brain training and be entered into a monthly raffle to win one of two prize packages every month. I do respond to every email.

This week:

I have two puzzles for you this week. Answer either one for one raffle entry or both for two raffle entries.

1. Find a six-letter word made up of only the following four letters: A J M P

2. The library was selling old books. I purchased 12 books for $12. Some were $0.50, some were $1.50, some were $2. How many of each did I buy?

See the answers.

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The words we use are just as important as our thoughts. Two years ago, I wrote about weasel words that I avoid as much as possible in my communication. I still have the shortcut that puts these words in all caps when I type them. NEED, CAN’T, and TRY show up most often.

Please help me by sharing this newsletter with someone you think would benefit.