Cultivate an Inner Witness

 

This is the third time this concept has popped up in my life in the last couple weeks.

Dr. Nicole LePera, in her great book How to Do the Work, says we are not our thoughts, we are the thinker of our thoughts. 

David Goggins talks about creating Goggins, his alter ego that pushes him to accomplish incredible feats, in the inspiring Never Finished. 

A couple more related sentiments:

Meditation philosophies often tell us that we are not our thoughts, we are the observer of our thoughts. 

Creating a fictional board of directors for You Inc. has been recommended by [I'm blanking on which famous business guru said it].

I've made it a point to focus on remembering lessons that show up in multiple places--especially ones spanning diverse cultures. This one certainly fits the bill. 

In order to reach our full potential, we should cultivate an inner witness. One that pushes us to act (with responsible detachment) according to our virtuous goals.