There’s a saying that “thoughts are not facts.”
And it’s true – even though they often feel convincing, thoughts are simply mental events that come and go. They rise up like waves, roll through your awareness, and fade – unless you hold on to them.
Thoughts Are Meant to Move
Think of your thoughts like:
- Waves of the ocean – some are calm, some crash, but all eventually recede.
- Trains at a station – they come and go, and you get to choose which one you board.
- Leaves in a stream – if you let them drift, the water keeps flowing. But if you cling to them, everything gets stuck.
When we’re struggling – especially in recovery – it’s easy to mistake every thought for truth.
“Maybe I don’t deserve to eat.”
“I’m too much.”
“I can’t handle this.”
But those thoughts aren’t facts. They’re passing stories, shaped by fear, old patterns, and pain.
You can observe them without obeying them.
You can notice them without needing to fix or fight them.
Emotions Are the Same Way
Here’s something many people don’t know: the physical sensation of an emotion in your body lasts about 90 seconds.
After that, what keeps it going is the story you attach to it – the replaying, analyzing, and reinforcing.
Sadness turns into despair when you keep feeding it.
Fear turns into panic when you keep imagining the worst.
Guilt turns into shame when you keep repeating, “I should’ve done better.”
The key isn’t to suppress your emotions – it’s to let them move through you.
To breathe.
To feel the wave crest and fall.
To know: “This, too, will pass.”
In Recovery, Movement Is Healing
When you stop trying to shrink or silence your feelings – and instead allow them – you create space for healing.
You learn that no emotion will destroy you.
You begin to trust your inner resilience.
And slowly, your thoughts and emotions stop being something to fear – they become guides, messengers, even waves you can ride safely to shore.
Takeaway:
You are not your thoughts.
You are not your emotions.
You are the awareness underneath them – the steady ground that stays when the waves pass through.