When you are in bed at night there are fewer outside distractions, it is quiet and dark, and therefore you are more aware of movements of your mind. You feel that thoughts are attacking you, not giving you a moment's rest, especially if you are experiencing some problems in your life.

If you are not healthy you will probably think about your health. If you have problems at work, then thoughts about these problems will probably flood your mind. A child will have thoughts about his parents, teachers or examinations, and a businessman about his work. Thoughts, worries and fears that are usually repressed during day surface up and swarm mind.

What would be willing to do to free yourself from these nibbling, restless thoughts that deny your sleep? Won't you be happy to be able to silence all thoughts that pop up when you are in bed?

If you fight these thoughts and try to stop them forcefully they will grow stronger, because you will be giving them more attention. If you want to get rid of a tree growing in your garden and cut it down, it will grow again quite fast, but if you stop watering it, it will gradually wither. You need to treat your thoughts in same manner. In order to calm them down you have to ignore them, which is equivalent to not watering tree.

How to ignore these nagging thoughts that escort you to bed? Here are a few tips that might help you:

That's often problem with maxims. They're effective because they're short and to point. However, it's assumed that entire context and meaning is understood.

For example, 'It's better to give than to receive' assumes that we understand that balance of life, joy of it, is in giving AND receiving. Many people need reminding that there is joy in both, but that greater joy is in giving. It could be considered a mini-sermon to those that believe 'Take care of yourself' means life is about them, that universe and everything in it was created to satisfy their every whim. To me, 'Take care of yourself' means making sure that your needs are given same importance as everyone else's.

Even when we initially understand original intent of a message, years of constant repetition tends to make us forget. Using our own experience and predisposition to guide us, we start creating our own context. For example, 'It's better to give than to receive' could start meaning we should only give and never receive. This creates a whole series of life problems. I suspect that many people who interpret giving in this way find it difficult to succeed in business because they have trouble charging correct price and end up giving product or service away. These are usually same people who would never consider taking anything from someone else without paying full price.

Individuals who take this to extreme also believe 'Giving, goood. Receiving, baaaad.' This now adds an element of judgment, not necessarily of other people's receiving (they do need someone to give to), but certainly of themselves. With a belief like that, taking or receiving of any kind, even their 'fair share', creates an uncomfortable state of being. Receiving for them means they are 'out of integrity' where 'being in integrity' means your actions match your words match your beliefs. They are usually first ones to offer aid, time, money, even their seat on a bus. It's just more comfortable to unload whatever they have received at earliest opportunity and it is almost painful for them if they have something and someone around them is going without.