Notice it

Sit quietly in your room with a piece of paper and a pen.  Feel free to set a timer if that helps.  You’re going to want to sit quietly for 5 minutes.  Every time you have a thought, take your pen and make a mark on your paper.  The idea is to make a note of the fact that you’re having a thought and let it go.  At the end of the 5 minutes, count up how many thoughts you had by counting the number of marks on your paper.  This exercise helps bring awareness to your thoughts and also shows you that even when we think we’re not thinking, some little thought creeps in.  By bringing our awareness to the thought, we can acknowledge it, let it go and make room for the present moment.