Making Decisions Without Mental Torture
Move
Someone asked me recently: "Bhaiiya, if Ashtavakra says thoughts are clouds - they come, they go, just passing through - then how the hell do I make decisions? Decisions need thinking, no? And thinking means thoughts. And if I'm the witness, just watching with no preference, won't I become useless? Sitting there like a statue while life passes by?"
This is where most people get stuck. Between philosophy and practicality. Between Sunday spirituality and Monday morning boardrooms.
And here's what happens:
Some people overthink themselves to death. Pro-con lists. Seventeen people's advice. Waiting for "clarity" that never comes. They call it being thoughtful. It's just fear wearing a suit.
Others bypass the whole thing. "Main toh witness hoon, I'm just letting life unfold, trusting the universe." Detachment? No. Laziness dressed as surrender.
Dono galat. Both keep you stuck. Both are excuses.
So I started watching. How do decisions actually get made? When do they work? When do they fail?
See
Pehli baat: Ashtavakra never said sit and wait for clouds to clear.
The witness is not passive. The witness MOVES.
You know how you drive? GT Road, Jalandhar to Ludhiana? You're watching - traffic, signals, idiots cutting lanes. Are you indecisive? No na? The watching IS the decision-making. Faster. Cleaner. No drama.
After observing hundreds of decisions - mine, others', in business, in life - I saw only three patterns:
Pattern 1: The Witness (This Works)
Body feels open, spacious. Even if there's fear.
You're gathering information without panic. You can say "I don't know yet, let me find out" without feeling weak. You can be WRONG and still be okay. Decision is not about your ego.
Pattern 2: Fear-Submission (This Fails)
Body feels tight. Compressed. Heavy.
You're stalling. Waiting for perfect information. Seeking validation from everyone. "What if I'm wrong, what if..." You can't pull the trigger because the decision feels like life-or-death.
This is not patience. This is paralysis.
Pattern 3: Impulsive-Escape (This Destroys)
Body feels agitated. Restless. Urgent.
You're running AWAY from discomfort, not TOWARDS purpose. "I need to decide NOW to stop feeling this."
This is the one that ruins people. You think it's gut feeling. It's just wounded ego screaming for relief.
The pattern was clear: Most bad decisions come from Pattern 2 or 3. People confuse both with intuition. They're not.
And then I found the test that cuts through the noise:
THE BODY DOESN'T LIE
Visualize the decision as DONE. Not maybe. Not possibly. DONE. You've already said yes. Already moved. Already committed.
Sit with that for 60 seconds.
How does your body feel?
Calm + Expanded? Even if scared, there's space. This is alignment. This is real intuition. Go.
Compressed + Tight? System is saying NO. Even if mind says yes. This is fear pretending to be intuition. Stop.
Now visualize the OPPOSITE decision. Feel that. Compare.
Your body knows before your mind admits.
Reflect
Here's what I've learned:
Witnessing is not waiting. It's watching while moving.
The thoughts will come - fear, excitement, doubt, clarity. All clouds. You don't wait for them to disappear. You MOVE while watching them.
Like Sabri. Sabr se sabra seekho. She didn't sit waiting for Ram to come. She LIVED. She WORKED. She watched her longing but didn't become it.
You hold the lease of karma. Not the ownership.
You make the decision with integrity. With clarity. With whatever information you have.
But the result? That's not yours to obsess over.
Ramayan mein dekho - Hanuman jumped to Lanka. Did he know he'd succeed? No. Did he have a backup plan? No. He moved with clarity. The outcome? He left that to Ram.
That's the witness at work. Not reckless. Not careless. But not controlled by outcome either.
The Practice:
Next time you're stuck:
Ek: Are you gathering info or stalling? If stalling - naam rakho fear ka.
Do: Visualize both options as done. Notice body. Calm? Tight?
Teen: Are you moving TOWARDS something or running AWAY?
Chaar: Make the call. Imperfectly. Without certainty. But with clarity.
Paanch: Release the outcome. Lease hai, ownership nahin.
The thoughts will keep coming - haan, they're clouds.
But you? You're the sky.
Make the decision. Watch the mental drama. Keep moving.
Yahi hai witness.
Not sitting on the mountain meditating. But living in the marketplace with consciousness.
What decision are you sitting on right now? What's your body saying that your mind is ignoring?
Take a thehrav. A pause. Feel it. Then move.
— Jaspal
Member discussion