Not Dwelling in Thoughts

    It's important not to live in one's thoughts. I found this happening today, after spending some time doing literature review in the library and reflecting. My reflection is that most of what I think about is not necessarily based on long-term planning, but is often the result of short-term desires. And I had this moment later in the evening after watching a movie that things are impermanent and ever changing. What seemed important in one instant of time actually proves insubstantial in the next moment. Thoughts might seem to have a certain power over the mind, but there is never a thought that is so extremely powerful that it holds a certain fixed supremacy over the mind. I wonder if you've ever had those moments when you realized that your thoughts are just like dreams: passing away like clouds, only to be replaced with new, completely different, thoughts. And yet, how often have we been in situations where we think there is one 'supreme' thought that holds the highest value in organizing one's life. It's a little bit like looking for the latest gadget or trend.
    One approach I have sometimes taken when dealing with this situation is to try to 'prioritize' thoughts in terms of a dominant world view of philosophy. An example might be Marxism. According to the classic Marxist view, any thoughts that refer to an afterlife or religious theme are really just a distraction from the real struggles of this world, much of which are related to working life and labour. A Marxist, I would imagine, would prioritize her thoughts around this idea that labour is the center of life, not religions. Conversely, a religious thinker might say that 'labour' is only a distraction from the real matter at hand, which is the afterlife, heaven, or God. Which one of these views is correct? I have often debated these things in my mind when I was studying philosophy. But lately, I am feeling that these debates could go on endlessly. And if one is not careful, they can be counterproductive in the sense that they can really absorb a person in concepts that don't really address or alleviate suffering or desires.
     If I were to 'add' a thought to all of this, I might be doing a disservice to the topic, in addition to contradicting the point. But what I am recommending is that people observe how thoughts influence them over time, to look into the unreality or impermanence of thinking. It's not to say 'get rid of thoughts' but to seriously investigate, as would a scientist, the question of which thoughts are most valuable and which thoughts are only temporary desires for quick fixes.
     I am even getting to the point where I realize that the 'prioritizing' of thoughts is a little bit like the comparison of the chess player who is playing both the black and white pieces. Aren't both pieces being operated by the same player? If so, why is the player getting agitated and determined to 'beat' her or himself? In the same way, I am beginning to marvel at how a lot of my thoughts are aimed at trying to dominate the previous thought. Both current and previous thought have no relation to each other and are both not so permanent. Why chase after these thoughts to begin with, and what does one hope to accomplish through it?