Notes from an 87-year-old clinical psychologist

5 ways I stop my mind from working against me

Dear friends,

The mind is a powerful tool.

And if we’re not careful, it can work against us.

It can criticize.
It can replay the past.
It can create stories that make us feel worse than we need to.

But we can learn to work with it.

What follows is a short do-list.
5 ways I keep my mind working for me.

1. I take responsibility for what goes on inside me.
   Thoughts and moods don’t come from the room around me. They arise within. Once I understood that, I stopped waiting for the world to change and began working with what was happening inside.

2. I change the channel when my mind turns negative.
   If the mind starts criticizing, I don’t stay there. I shift it. I think of something supportive. A memory I enjoy. A moment that brings ease. The mind will talk — I decide what it talks about.

3. I let failure move me forward.
   Failure is part of succeeding. We try, we miss, we learn, and we try again. Staying in motion matters more than getting it right the first time.

   

4. I give myself something to feel grateful for.
   Gratitude changes the tone of a day. I take a moment to recognize something I have, something I experienced, or someone in my life. Feeling it, even briefly, makes life feel more complete.

5. I make small choices that support my life.
   Sometimes it’s as simple as parking further away and taking the walk. Small decisions, repeated over time, support the body and the mind in quiet ways.

There is something important to remember:

You are the boss of your mind.

It is your tool — not your master.

I don’t claim mastery of this.
I practice.
I forget.
I begin again.

Today, notice what your mind is doing —
and gently guide it in a better direction.

If you wish, you’re welcome to write back and share what you’re working on.

Golden Light,

Dr. Richard Louis Miller

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A note on working together

For those who feel drawn to working together more directly, I offer a limited number of one-on-one conversations.

These are not traditional therapy sessions. They are quiet, practical conversations focused on calming the mind, easing anxiety, and working with simple tools that support steadiness in daily life.

We move at a thoughtful pace. We work with what’s present. We focus on what helps.

If you’d like to learn more about working together one-on-one, you’re welcome to reply to this email and my team will share additional details.

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1-minute mind control

Traditional mindfulness and meditation techniques often require a huge investment of your most precious resource (time) without guarantees of results.

My own version of mindfulness—what I sometimes refer to as “mind control”—can be mastered in much less time if you commit to regular 60-90 second practice throughout the day.

Breathing. Witnessing. Changing the channel on negative thoughts.

I’ve honed these techniques over a lifetime of personal and professional practice, and now I’m sharing them with the world.

Get my book Master Your Mind, and as a thank you for your support, I’ll give you a free 30-day subscription to our premium newsletter and exclusive content. Just reply to this email after you buy it to confirm your purchase.

My Other Books:

• Psychedelic Medicine at the End of Life: Dying Without Fear

• Freeing Sexuality: Psychologists, Consent Teachers, Polyamory Experts, and Sex Workers Speak Out

• Psychedelic Wisdom: The Astonishing Rewards of Mind-Altering Substances

• Psychedelic Medicine: The Healing Powers of LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca

• Integral Psychedelic Therapy (co-edited with Jason A. Butler & Genesee Herzberg)