Imagine your mind is like the sky. Sometimes it's clear and sunny, and sometimes it's cloudy and stormy. Those clouds represent the thoughts and feelings that naturally arise – both pleasant and unpleasant. Everyone has clouds; it's part of being human. Trying to permanently get rid of the clouds is like trying to change the weather – it's a struggle that often doesn't work and can take you away from what truly matters.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) isn't about emptying the well of difficult experiences. It's about learning to live effectively alongside those experiences. We can notice the clouds in our mental sky – the difficult thoughts and feelings – without getting caught up in them or struggling against them. We can acknowledge their presence, allow them to be there, and then refocus our attention on what truly matters: our values.
What direction do you want your life to move in? What values can guide your actions, even when the clouds of difficult thoughts and feelings are present? What small steps can you take today to move closer to the life you want to live? This is the heart of ACT – clarifying your values and taking committed action aligned with those values, regardless of what's happening in your mental sky.
