Most of the time we do our utmost to ignore her. We switch on the radio, or television, or we go online. It's in quiet times when the technology is switched off that we hear her chatting away, incessantly, about this or that. We do not realise that she's our constant travelling companion, always with us.
When thinking of our thoughts, our consciousness, as a travelling companion in our journey of life, we can see her a little more clearly. Is she entertaining and high-spirited, inquisitive and knowledgeable? Or does she have a tendency to always see what's wrong, or could go wrong? Is she beset with worry and despair?
Eastern philosophers and cognitive psychologists contend that the quality of our life rests on the quality of our thoughts because it is our thoughts that drive our emotions and behaviour. "Life is a creation of the mind," is a quote in Eastern philosophy, implying that our thoughts drive happy and sad times, successes and failures. As Henry Ford once said: "If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right."
Of course, your thoughts can be ignored; they can be drowned out with music or distracted with gadgets. But if you're keen to find your life's path, and to live it, then it's worthwhile considering the mindset of she who travels alongside you, in other words, your thoughts. Is she aiding you or holding you back?