"The major cause of stress for most people arises from self-generated anxiety and worries. Because the body responds equally to mental images as to sensory ones, learning to monitor and sort through our thoughts can be a major step to finding greater balance."

"Here’s a ‘mindfulness of thinking' technique that comes from a tribe in Africa.  From an early age, children there were trained to be mindful of their thinking. If a person became aware of a foreboding thought like, ‘Oh no, what if there is a lion hiding behind that tree waiting to eat me?’ they learned to first recognize and then release the thought by saying to themselves, ‘This is a story that doesn’t need to happen’."

"We use this technique often. For example, one of us may be chopping vegetables with a sharp knife and the thought pops up, ‘I’d better be careful or I’ll cut myself.’ Or we’re in a rush driving on the freeway and the image of getting pulled over by the state patrol jumps to mind. The key is to first notice your thoughts and then, if they are harmful or unproductive, to say to yourself, ‘This is a story that doesn’t need to happen.’ This technique is not about getting rid of negative thoughts or about the power of positive thinking. If a stress-inducing ‘doom and gloom’ kind of thought comes to mind, you acknowledge it, you don’t’ try to get rid of it, to hold on to it, or even analyze it. You simple honor it and let it go."

"Balance is also found by recognizing that some of those stories that pop into our minds are ones we’d like to see happen. In response to a desirable thought like, ‘Maybe there is a watering hole over there,’ or ‘I hope the baby I am carrying will be healthy and a leader for the people,’ the members of the African tribe would add to themselves, ‘And this is a healing story’!"