Chapter 1: The Voice Inside Your Head

In the acknowledgments to The Untethered Soul, Singer explains that the book is compiled from talks he had given at the Temple of the Universe. I remember that, early on, being present at those talks helped me realize there was a voice inside my head. It was, quite literally, a rude awakening, as I became aware of a constant negative narration running through my life.

Singer often gives an example where he asks us to create a picture in our mind and then gives further instructions to change that picture. His go-to example is to first imagine a boat, then a red boat, then a bigger boat, and finally the Queen Mary or another mega-cruise ship.

Through this exercise, it becomes clear that the mind is like a chalkboard that writes its own narrative unless we manage it. The beauty of his example is that it shows how easy it can be to intentionally guide the process of creating thoughts. It also highlights the randomness and negativity of the thoughts the mind produces when left unattended.

The Buddha said, “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.”

There is great power in that statement, and it provides all the reason and motivation you need to pay attention to what you are doing with your mind. That attention to what your mind is doing is a skill you can develop, and it is broadly called Mindfulness.

Working at the Root 

1. Recognize that there is a continuous voice inside your head. 

2. This voice engrosses you to the point that you can’t even see it, and you mistakenly believe it is who you are. 

3. The voice in your mind is relentlessly trying to protect you from fears and help you attain desires as a way to avoid worry and general discomfort. 

4. You are The Conscious Self, the observer of this voice, not the voice itself. Growth comes from recognizing the difference between being the observer of the voice and identifying as the voice.