Intrusive thoughts rely on you giving it power to survive. So picture this: your mind's having a serene picnic in the park, and suddenly, out of nowhere, a wild thought pops up. It's like a friend crashing your picnic without an invite – a bit awkward, right? These are what we call intrusive thoughts. They come out of the blue, sometimes making us gasp, "Why on Earth did I just think that?! I didn’t even want them here”

Now, here's the twist: these thoughts, no matter what they are, rely on our reaction to maintain their validity. Imagine them as actors on a stage – they thrive when they get a reaction from the audience. If you label them as intruders, well, that's exactly the role they'll play! It's like giving them a spotlight they didn't earn.

It’s tough because, we call them intrusive thoughts. They are intrusive. Uninvited. We go into problem-solving mode to remove the unwanted thought from the party. Because of this we’ve given it more fuel to stick around a little bit longer.

But hold up, because here's where the magic happens. You're not just a spectator in this thought circus; you're the ringmaster! By deciding how you respond to these thoughts, you're holding the key to their power. The moment you stop treating them like the center of attention, they lose their power.

Believe it or not, you're the Jedi master in this story. By choosing not to see these thoughts as threats, you're waving your mental lightsaber and saying, "Not today!" Your brain is super adaptable, like a puppy learning new tricks. The more you respond to intrusive thoughts with a nonchalant shrug, the more your brain goes, "Oh, okay, these aren't a big deal."

The only reason intrusive thoughts have value

The only reason anything has value is because we place value on it. I often think of how clothing style changes. When I was younger, I wore Jinko pants. Those huge, super baggy pants I had a puka shell necklace I wore no show socks. Because showing your socks was a No no. Wearing socks with sandals. Yeah, right. Oh, and don’t forget to bleach your hair.

As time progressed, these styles left, instead of the baggy pants, it was, let’s see if we can get the skinniest pants possible. Puka shell necklaces are out. Don’t even wear socks.

And today, guess what back in. Super baggy pants, puka shell necklaces, and bleached hair. Sandals with socks, in fact, long socks. Now that’s where it’s at.

So what in the world is happening here someone decided a certain style is what we do and we all follow. The value of this leaves and we pick a new one. The value of that leaves and we pick a new one.

Just like intrusive thoughts, we get full choice and decision on if we are going to create any value to it. It is meaningless when we act as if it’s meaningless. Saying phrases like, thanks for the thought. I love that you’re here right now. you’re welcome to stay all day.

We decide who is popular. We decide if I thought is good or bad. We decide if it means something. We decide if we’re going to act upon a thought. We decide. we decide. we decide.

Imagine going to a magic show. It is flashy, it’s loud, the performer finishes his grand trick. And not a single person claps. No one cheers. Everyone is acting as if the performer had no value. They look disinterested. What do you think the performer is going to feel? Probably pretty not great. In fact, they may start to question their abilities and what they are presenting. They may even quit all together and never return. This is exactly what we’re doing with treatment. Acting as if the intrusive thought is meaningless, giving it no value, essentially not giving it what it wants. Thus retraining the brain to only focus on those things you really care about.

So while these thoughts are often forced upon us, the important thing to remember is that you have all the power. Thoughts are thoughts. I’m going to force a thought right now. I want the roof to fall down right now and get sprinkled with insulation. Wait for it. Wait for it. Oh man, why isn’t it happening. Our thoughts have power right? Well, no, only if we give it power.

So here’s the dealio, I want you to know that you are awesome. Just like in star wars, you have the high ground. Focus on life, what you’re going to do today and how you’re going to respond or not respond to intrusive thoughts that come your way.

I handhold you through this process in my master your OCD course, which I’ll link down in the description.

You are simply amazing.