Atomic Habits by James Clearis a book that provides a practical guide to building good habits and breaking bad ones. The book is based on the idea that small, incremental changes can lead to significant improvements over time. Here are some key points and a summary of the book:
Key Points:
Habits are the building blocks of our lives. They are the small actions we take every day that shape our behavior and determine our outcomes.
The key to building good habits is to make them easy, attractive, and rewarding. This means breaking them down into small, manageable steps, making them enjoyable, and rewarding yourself for your progress.
The key to breaking bad habits is to make them difficult, unattractive, and unrewarding. This means making them harder to do, associating them with negative consequences, and removing the rewards that come with them.
The book provides a four-step framework for building good habits: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying.
The book also provides a four-step framework for breaking bad habits: make it invisible, make it unattractive, make it difficult, and make it unsatisfying.
The book emphasizes the importance of tracking your progress and measuring your results. This helps you stay motivated and see the progress you are making.
Summary:
Atomic Habits is a practical guide to building good habits and breaking bad ones. The book is based on the idea that small, incremental changes can lead to significant improvements over time. The book provides a four-step framework for building good habits: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. The book also provides a four-step framework for breaking bad habits: make it invisible, make it unattractive, make it difficult, and make it unsatisfying. The book emphasizes the importance of tracking your progress and measuring your results. By following the strategies outlined in the book, readers can build good habits and break bad ones to achieve their goals and improve their lives.
Learning through struggle is a process of acquiring knowledge and skills by willingly facing challenges, obstacles, or difficulties. It is a natural part of the learning process, and it is a powerful tool for personal growth and development.
Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.”
~ Oprah Winfrey
When we struggle to learn something, we are forced to engage with the material in a deeper way. We have to think critically, problem-solve, and persevere through setbacks. This process can be frustrating and uncomfortable, but it is the only way to create the version of ourselves that is more skill full and confident.
Research has shown that willingness to learn can actually improve our memory and retention of information. When we have to work hard to understand something, our brains create stronger connections between neurons, which can help us remember the information better in the long run.
The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings. It makes us patient, sensitive, and Godlike. It teaches us that although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.“
Helen Keller
Additionally, learning through struggle can help us develop important life skills, such as resilience, perseverance, and grit. These skills can be valuable in all areas of our lives, from our careers to our personal relationships.
Of course, it’s important to note that not all struggle is productive. If we are constantly overwhelmed or frustrated, we may need to seek additional support or resources to help us learn more effectively. However, when we approach learning with a growth mindset and embrace the challenges that come with it, we can experience significant personal growth and development.
Here are some quotes on struggle.
“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up.” – Les Brown
“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott
“The triumph can’t be had without the struggle.” – Wilma Rudolph
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein
“Life is a circle of happiness, sadness, hard times, and good times. If you are going through hard times, have faith that good times are on the way.” – Unknown
“Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.” – Anne Frank
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” – Stephen King
“It’s funny how, when things seem the darkest, moments of beauty present themselves in the most unexpected places.” – Karen Marie Moning
“Hard times always lead to something great.” – Betsey Johnson
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein
“Life keeps throwing me stones. And I keep finding the diamonds…” – Ana Claudia Antunes
“When hardships keep coming back, do not take it personal. It’s just life.” – Naide P Obiang
“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” – Bob Riley
“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“If you are going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill
“If someone is strong enough to bring you down, show them you are strong enough to get back up.” – A. Josland
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.” – Nelson Mandela
“Press on – nothing can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Perseverance and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge
“I’ll tell you something about tough times. They just about kill you, but if you decide to keep working at them, you’ll find your way through.” – Joan Bauer
“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” – Lao Tzu
“Why should you continue going after your dreams? Because seeing the look on the faces of the people who said you couldn’t… will be priceless.” – Kevin Ngo
“Never regret something that once made you smile.” – Amber Deckers
“Let perseverance be your engine and hope your fuel.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
“The first step to greatness is believing that greatness exists within you.” – Channique Nathan
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” – Joseph Kennedy
“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” – Duke Ellington
“I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person.” – Rita Mero
“Life is at its best when everything has fallen out of place, and you decide that you’re going to fight to get them right, not when everything is going your way and everyone is praising you.” – Thisuri Wanniarachchi
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie
“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally; I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Difficult times will come. It’s a fact of life, isn’t it? There are good times and bad times in everybody’s life.” – Raj Kosaraju
“This too shall pass.” – Persian Sufi Poets
“Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.” – Sir Winston Churchill
“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” – Franklin D Roosevelt
“It is a blessing to experience hardship. Not because we suffer, but because we learn to endure.” – Saim .A. Cheeda
“Thankfully, persistence is a great substitute for talent.” – Steve Martin
“Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth.” – Susan Taylor
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Hellen Keller
“Struggle happens when you do something which you don’t love.” – Kubra Sait
“Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – Les Brown
“Hard times lifts the seeking souls to higher spiritual realms.” – Lailah Gifty Akita
“I think that little by little I’ll be able to solve my problems and survive.” – Frida Kahlo
“To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.” – Gail Sheehy
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” – Seneca
“You need to spend time crawling alone through shadows to truly appreciate what it is to stand in the sun.” – Shaun Hick
“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” – Bernice Johnson Reagon
“All of life is a test and we all have our challenges to meet.” – Marjory Sheba
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison
“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” – Bruce Lee
“Never give up. Things may be hard, but if you quit trying they’ll never get better. Stop worrying and start trusting God. It will be worth it.” – Germany Kent
“Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.” – Walt Disney
“Hard times are like thunder. They make a lot of noise but do little harm. Don’t fear hard times.” – Debasish Mridha
“Our biggest struggle as human beings is to project ourselves as something that society has deemed admirable or likable instead of being honest.” – Matthew Shultz
“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schuller
“No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse.” – Randy Pausch
Making the right choices and being more decisive can be challenging, but here are some tips to help:
Clarify your values: Knowing your values can help you make decisions that align with your beliefs and priorities. Take some time to reflect on what is most important to you.
Set clear goals: Having clear goals can help you make decisions that move you closer to what you want to achieve. Write down your goals and break them down into smaller, actionable steps.
Gather information: Before making a decision, gather as much information as possible. This can help you make an informed choice and reduce feelings of uncertainty.
Consider the pros and cons: Make a list of the pros and cons of each option. This can help you weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of each choice.
Trust your intuition: Sometimes, our gut instinct can guide us towards the right decision. Trust your intuition and listen to your inner voice.
Practice decision-making: The more you practice making decisions, the easier it becomes. Start with small decisions and work your way up to bigger ones.
Embrace uncertainty: Sometimes, there is no clear right or wrong choice. Embrace uncertainty and trust that you will make the best decision you can with the information you have.
Remember, making the right choices and being more decisive takes time and practice. By incorporating these tips into your decision-making process, you can become more confident in your ability to make choices that align with your values and goals.
Understanding how the mind works can be a powerful tool in reducing suffering and improving overall well-being. Here are some key concepts to keep in mind:
Thoughts are not facts: Just because you think something doesn’t mean it’s true. Our thoughts are often influenced by our emotions and past experiences, and can be distorted or biased.
The power of perception: Our perception of a situation can greatly influence how we feel about it. By changing our perception, we can change our emotional response.
The mind-body connection: Our thoughts and emotions can have a physical impact on our body, and vice versa. By taking care of our physical health, we can improve our mental health.
The importance of self-talk: The way we talk to ourselves can greatly impact our mood and behavior. By practicing positive self-talk, we can improve our self-esteem and reduce negative thoughts.
The role of mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and observing our thoughts and feelings without judgment. By practicing mindfulness, we can become more aware of our thoughts and better able to manage them.
The impact of stress: Chronic stress can have a negative impact on our mental and physical health. By managing stress through relaxation techniques and self-care, we can improve our overall well-being.
Remember, understanding how the mind works takes time and practice. By incorporating these concepts into your daily life, you can reduce suffering and improve your overall well-being.
A morning routine is one of the most important habits to have in order to start your day off on the right foot. It sets the tone for the rest of your day and can give you a sense of focus and purpose. Having a consistent morning routine can help you be more productive, reduce stress, and make sure that you are getting all the things done that need to be done.
The key to creating an effective morning routine is finding what works best for you. Everyone has different needs and preferences, so it’s important to experiment with different routines until you find something that works well for you. From waking up early and exercising, to taking time for yourself before starting your day; there are many ways to create a successful morning routine.
1. Miracle Mornings
Popularized by author Hal Elrod, Miracle Morning is the perfect balance between simplicity and depth.
There are six activities that the author suggests you do before 8AM each morning:
Silence (meditation, breathing exercises, etc)
Affirmations (writing them down, reading them aloud)
Visualization (visualize living your ideal day for 5ish minutes)
Each activity can be customized to fit your unique goals and time limit.
2. Tim Ferriss’s Morning Routine
Tim Ferriss, the author of productivity books including the 4-Hour Work Week, has conducted interviews to curate a morning routine that works well for many people. If you’re a Tim Ferriss fan or big on productivity hacks, then this routine could be a good fit for you.
Arianna Huffington, former news mogul turned advocate of burnout prevention, shares her own personal morning routine with others. She is big on managing your digital device addiction, so if you share this interest, take a look at her morning routine.
Wake up naturally
Do not check phone first thing in the morning
Meditate or write down dream
Have “bulletproof” coffee (it’s coffee with butter mixed into it)
Exercise for 30 mins
Stretch
4. Andrew Huberman’s Morning Routine
This is the most time-consuming of the four that we recommend. Dr. Andrew Huberman has studied the science of human performance and recommends these steps based on studies. If you are someone that is motivated by intensity and challenging goals, this routine could be for you.
Awareness, Reflection, and Presence are the three core components of a mindful life. Awareness is the ability to be aware of your thoughts and emotions in a non-judgmental way. Reflection is the process of introspection and self-examination that allows us to gain insight into our thought patterns and behaviors. Presence is the ability to remain centered, patient, and focused in any situation. Together, these three qualities can help us create an internal environment of peace and balance that leads to greater clarity, creativity, and joy in our lives.
How to Cultivate Awareness & Reflection Through Mindful Practices
Mindful practices can help us cultivate awareness and reflection in our lives. Through mindful practices such as mindfulness meditation techniques, reflective meditation practice, and breath-based meditation practice, we can become more aware of our thoughts, feelings and emotions. We can also become more aware of the present moment and be able to reflect on our experiences in a deeper way. By engaging in mindful practices regularly, we can learn to pay attention to ourselves in a more conscious way and gain insight into our innermost selves.
The Benefits of Practicing Presence & Centeredness in Everyday Life
Practicing presence and centeredness in our daily lives can have a profound effect on our overall well-being. It helps us to be more patient with ourselves and others, and to find inner peace and harmony in the midst of life’s challenges. By focusing on being present in the moment, we can become better equipped to handle whatever life throws at us. With practice, we can learn how to stay focused on what matters most and make decisions based upon our values rather than our emotions. Through cultivating presence and centeredness, we can create a life of balance and joy.
Tips to Instill a Lasting Sense of Awareness & Introspection
Self-awareness and introspection are essential skills for personal growth. They help us to understand our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to make better decisions. However, it can be difficult to instill a lasting sense of awareness and introspection in ourselves. We need to regularly practice self-reflection activities and self-awareness exercises in order to stay focused on our goals. In this article, we will discuss some tips that can help you instill a lasting sense of awareness and introspection. We will look at different self-reflection activities and self-awareness exercises that you can use to gain insight into yourself and your life. By following these tips, you will be able to cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself so that you can make better decisions in the future.
Using Awareness and Reflection as Tools for Positive Change in Our Lives
In today’s world, it is important to take time to pause and reflect on our lives in order to make positive changes. Awareness and reflection are two powerful tools that can help us gain insight into our inner selves, and make positive changes in our lives. Through awareness, we can become conscious of the thoughts and feelings that drive us, while reflection allows us to step back from these thoughts and feelings, enabling us to find harmony within ourselves. With awareness and reflection, we can identify areas of our lives where we need improvement, allowing us to make meaningful changes that will bring about greater peace and inner fulfillment.
Being intentional with your personal growth with gentleness and ease. Finding that center where all life and energy spings from voluntarily. Moving from this center so that our decisions are guided by a power greater than our thinking. Through virtues and practice of humility and trust, we may go through our days with persistent power.
Two opposing thoughts are going on that you might find familiar:
1. “You are ok just the way you are and you will grow as nature intended you to.”
2. “You are motivated to be the version of yourself you desire to be and consciously trekking toward its attainment.”
Number one is acceptance and number two is motivation. Leaning towards either side causes imbalance. Too much acceptance, you will be stagnant, too much motivation you will lose out of touch with what is truly important.
Much like climbing the stairs and riding the bicycle. Sitting still will get you nowhere, moving too fast you’ll end up falling. The key is to find the middle way. In Buddhism the middle way is the understanding f practical life, avoiding the extremes of self denial and self indulgence.
Suzuki expressed it best
Each one of you is perfect the way you are … and you can use a little improvement.
– Shinryu Suzuki
Know your healthy pace
Identify your goals and daily actions towards it. All worthwhile journeys are made of simple specific actions directed to a noble cause. How many of these specific actions can you perform daily without burning out? The beautiful and liberating thing here is you will be the one designing this commitment to forming a certain habit. A healthy pace would be feeling good as you undergo the task. With the right amount of challenge keeping you on the edge but not falling off. Another key aspect of a healthy pace is you feel good about it and at the same time you also have time and attention to listen and learn from others. Key things to remember in knowing your healthy pace;
You feel good about your progress
You feel good as you engage in the activity
You can’t do traditional work at a modern pace. Traditional work has traditional rhythms. You need calm. You can be busy, but you must remain calm.
Dig deeper to find the cause of what motivates you
Knowing what motivates you gets you through when initial motivation runs out. Motivation easily wears off and our pursuit turns dull and boring and we end up quitting. If we constantly remind ourselves with “why” we are motivated, then we will runs n energy greater than us. It is the nobility of our goal and the grander scheme will then move through us. So tap into that “why”. You maybe on the verge of resenting the pursuit of an organized countertop, but if you go back to your “why”; “I’m doing this because I am committed to the type of person who has an organized and clean countertop and this is a starting point of how my day will be and my days are what make my months and my months will make my year” So with just a slight shift in perspective you will have then created the direction of your future simply by reminding yourself of your why.
two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.”
Use motivation to ignite, use persistence to be consistent
Motivation is key to get you up and running, but that excitement dies down easily. Remember when you were excited on taking up a craft, then after a couple of sessions, you have grown tired of it? Take a deeper look into your intentions on why you decided to take up this activity? Maybe it is not that you are not into pottery; maybe you are into using your hands. Knowing this fact about you will be helpful in committing to your next steps. Use motivation to show up, stay persistent on searching until you hit that spot where you can say to yourself “ahhh, this feels right”. Keep on showing up, collect knowledge, pivot as needed, subtract the non essentials.
“As long as we are persistent in our pursuit of our deepest destiny, we will continue to grow. We cannot choose the day or time when we will fully bloom. It happens in its own time.”
– Denis Waitley
You are still on track even if you stop doing
I bet you have heard of the phrase “doing by non doing” and “effortless effort”. These aphorisms may seem contradictory but they stood the test of time because they are true. Be ok with stopping, this is the time to asses and reflect on your energy expenditure. Are you getting results you wanted? Are you just running on inertia and experiencing diminishing returns.
Always remember that goalposts move and change as you gain experience. What served you yesterday might not serve you today. Stop, reflect, plan and deploy.
Getting complacent with a routine is a trap. Stop and think of ways on how to improve your systems and frameworks if things get too easy and you tend to drift from being engaged in what you are doing.
There is no perfectly correct way of doing things. Stop strictly fitting yourself in a mold, only you know what works for you. In stopping, you get to continuously design your path fit for the ever changing you.
In stopping, you take a break from deep focus and shift to expanded focus. Notice things and concepts outside of your plans and aspirations and become aware of the bigger existence of all humans and the planet. How aligned or miss aligned are your perceptions.
The highest virtue does nothing. Yet, nothing needs to be done. The lowest virtue does everything. Yet, much remains to be done.“
– The Dao
Build and sustain centeredness
Stay centered through habitual morning practice. Prime yourself and visualize optimal performance. Make your commitments and agreements with self in your morning practice. An example would be “Today I won’t judge and criticize”, “Today I will remain in this tranquil space despite unfavorable circumstances knowing that it being unfavorable is only my opinion”, “I will have a good relationship with the thoughts that my mind produces for I know they are ever changing”. With these in the center of your being, may you stay undisturbed and at peace. Sustain this peace as you move through segments of your day. It’s all just slight effort moving from this to that and here to there. Imagine people in the park in China town doing Tai chi, that’s you going about your day. Gentle, centered, alert and prepared.
THE secret of life, of abundant life, with its strength, its felicity, and its unbroken peace is to find the Divine Centre within oneself, and to live in and from that, instead of in that outer circumference of disturbances — the clamours, cravings, and argumentations which make up the animal and intellectual man. These selfish elements constitute the mere husks of life, and must be thrown away by him who would penetrate to the Central Heart of things — to Life itself.
– James Allen
Keypoints
We both need to be accepting of what we are right now and motivated in developing in certain ways.
Maintain centeredness so we don’t break down as we pursue our goals. We often times get obsessed with our goals and forget that it is inner nobility that counts rather than outward glory.
Stopping to re-evaluate our causes and effects. Adjusting our efforts and day to day key actions that yield desired results.
Ask what things am I accepting and what things am I working towards.
Hope you found value in today’s entry
Center through breathing
Strengthen through grounding
Refine aim in silence and in communication with the most high
Diligence, watch fulness, energy and effort may be upon you today
Unwavering rectitude, Unselfish Performance of Duty, Unlimited Forgiveness
It has been said many times that it is not the “thing” but how we see them. But why do we always fall victim to the mind’s fearful stories that make us anxious? You might be surprised by the simplicity of the answers and practices that will create clarity and bring skillful discernment of things around us. It is enough quality sleep, balanced nutrition, human connection and movement.
Paul Check also simplified this approach with his four doctors you’ll ever need, Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, Dr. Happiness & Dr. movement. These are your foundation for having a balanced we’ll being and not fall into the trap of the ego. Imagine your days as a game you play. You need preparation and conditioning before showing up daily much like participating in a sporting match. Prepare by having proper sleep, eating healthy foods, having human connection and strenuous exercise. Having this done early in the morning, you are now able to apply these mind tools that will help you become more positive any time of the day you sense that you are being attacked by anxiety, fear or worry.
Recenter by saying: Now I am………
As you go about your day your mind might ruminate on a thing that is about to happen or a thing that it thinks should happen. When you sense that your world is getting limited, rigid and constraint bring yourself to center by saying “Now I am……. “ Followed by the thing you are doing at the moment. It might be brushing your teeth, walking down the street or washing dishes. This phrase powerfuly brings all of the attention to the present liberation you from the entangling complexities that the mind presents. We realize that now you are just a person being this, nothing more, nothing to be afraid of, nothing to fix, just this, folding the clothes, no more added opinions.
Make this an hourly habit, Now I am this….. Maybe just a human being at peace with all things. From this space we can redirect our attention to something positive. Just to experience life, the infinite intelligence happening as you. That is enough to be joyful of. Start here, and always make it a point to comeback here if you entangled yourself far from your center.
“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. ”
– Mark Twain
Slow down
Our brains run on an average of 2100 thoughts per second if we try to analyze, deal and tend to each one of them, this will be the cause of unnecessary stress and anxiety. Imagine our brains as receptors of signals, it is so majestic that it receives a variety of ideas and insights but our awareness need not to ride each train that passes by. It is just impossible. You can slow the pace of your thought receiving brain by simply observing and being non attached to them. The cycles of your brain will lower if you sit still and let things be, entertaining your thoughts produces more thoughts leading to never ending questions and complexity. Take a deep breath, watch the mind, observe, don’t react. This is how you slow down.
Here are the brain wave states. We mostly function on beta throughout the day, but we can slow things down and get to theta for balance & ease.
Watch where you spend your time. We often get caught getting pulled in different directions. We are spread thin with multiple goals and impulses. Let go of the activities that don’t bring you closer to your goal. Lessen the time thinking of things that bother you. It is often our misguided opinions, judgements and criticisms that drains us of our precious energy. If a negative impulse or thought arises and is moose’s itself unto you, be bothered for 1 minute and let it go. Stay undistracted by internalizing your ideal self. Envision yourself being loving, tranquil, joyful and accepting. Deliberately choose to not be distracted. Be committed to where your aim is at. What ever you aim at, the world configures itself according to that specific aim. What you notice expands. Notice the good, meditate on your primary aim, be undistracted.
“We can cope with uncomfortable internal triggers by reflecting on, rather than reacting to, our discomfort. We can reimagine the task we’re trying to accomplish by looking for the fun in it and focusing on it more intensely. Finally, and most important, we can change the way we see ourselves to get rid of self-limiting beliefs.”
– Nir Eyal
See good in everything
There is always the other side of the story. We see things not for what they are but for what we are. It depends on through what lens we see the situation. In this practice we can totally let go of how you perceive a situation and see it from a place of equanimity. You might think you are being harmed or offended, but nothing can really harm but our own minds untrained to see other sides of the story. This skill of seeing things from the birds eye view will save you a lot of unnecessary pain. In seeing the good in everything, you draw in more good things to your hemisphere, your domain, your frequency. Remember that what you focus on expands? Make a choice of expanding what is good in your situation right now. Reach for the next best feeling thought and watch it grow and blossom to fruits of goodness that you and others will enjoy. If you can breathe right now, you doin pretty good.
“When you focus on being the best person you can be, you draw the best possible life, love, and opportunities to you.”
– Germany Kent
Bless your blessings
Make gratitude your default attitude. Bless your triumphs, your adversities and setbacks. Acknowledge the person you became up to this point in time. Make use of the gifts and inspirations that you embody. Know that you have all that you ever need to take that next step in your journey. You are blessed with all of the things you’ll ever need. You can read, you can breathe, you can move your limbs, you can light someone up, you can put things together. Through openness and a little courage, we open ourselves up to more blessings. Honor the higher power, the intelligence greater than you, the one true source of all, surrender all of your fears and questions and watch your blessings grow. In priming our minds with gratitude, the brain acts as if it already has, as a result the subconscious directs more of the things you are blessed with your way.
“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.”
– Maya Angelou
Prioritize calmness
We often take for granted the importance of calmness. Let go of the addiction to thinking and busyness. The real deal in life reveal themselves after the storms of the mind have settled. In prioritizing calmness, we establish space from anything that can throw you off balance. Build your foundation of calm first before engaging in any outward activity. Making a commitment to calmness despite changes. When we are in a sustained calm state, we are open to see more beauty around us.
Start by having a quiet time alone, often times we start the day rushing to do things. This is voluntarily running towards imbalance. Establish your calm first, maybe some affirmations like “I’m eternal, immortal, universal & infinite” or “This is my day, I accept complete responsibility for my life for I know that I am power” or “Out of this day only good will come, All is well & I am safe”. Carry on these feelings as you go through each task of the day making calm your priority and the center of your being.
“Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together.”
– Thomas Carlyle
You are not your story
Create your ideal self by regularly shedding bits and pieces of yourself that don’t help you get to the future self you desire. Your story keeps on changing as you change and learn daily. You are not your story means there is no need to attach to or repeat habits and actions you did yesterday. Reflect each morning on where you want to go within the short term & long term. Study your actions and keep other people’s input from a distance. Create your story daily, open to new things and course correcting. You are not your story, thoughts and actions. Know truth by sitting still and observing. Know the bigness of your being, you are all things, in this knowingness you return to balance and ease. Let go of stories, narratives and expectation remember; nothing is what it seems. Give it space….. then let it be.
“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds. It is something one creates.”
– Thomas Szasz
Question everything
If something bothersome arises, be quick in noticing so you can nip it in the bud. Awareness is key, through questioning; pausing before reacting, we create space where in we get to fully understand before imposing any action that may worsen the scenario. Reflect on what things that I do everyday that are making things worse? Change the simple daily things you do to always redirect your movement towards your ideal.
Sometimes just stopping and accepting returns our emotions back to balance and ease. See as the bird would, from above. See the whole picture with many participants and preferences involved. Remember that we are functioning most of our days on the intellectual part of the brain which is very limited. It just keeps on dissecting, cutting, asking, avoiding and imposing. Peace and balance is found when we do not engage in these characteristics of the intellect. Just know that the mind is naturally hard wired this way and there is no need for you to act on it and fix it immediately.
Ask; is it true? Is it absolutely true? Who would I be without this thought?
“Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. You don’t have to like it… it’s just easier if you do.”
– Byron Katie
Go back to your why
Whenever feeling lost in the complexities of your day. Go back to your why. What is the bigger purpose of why you are engaged in your present task. An example would be, “Im in the grocery store and this is such an annoying task”. If you go back to the bigger “why” of the reason behind you are there is “Im in the grocery store because I’m taking charge of the nourishment of my family and myself”. This thought will immediately bring you to center and will get the job done with purpose. Doing things backed with an honorable mission is easier than going through a task hurriedly and gruntingly.
Another thing I like doing is appreciating the transitions, from the grocery to the car, loading and unloading the items, our lives are made up of these moments that are not any different from special events we look forward to like an extravagant vacation or a holiday.
Keep your mission vision intact and close to heart and mind. Your work is important and needed in the world although it may not appear so.
Going back to your why reveals to you a big vision resulting to more energy to accomplish.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Notice Nature
Make time to look up to the sky. Let yourself be absorbed by the vastness of it. Notice the patterns on the rocks, the sidewalk, the graffiti. Notice the unnoticeable, the spaces between the leaves, the dirt beneath you, the orb like sparkles on the water. Nature is our greatest teacher. We are of it. Feel this connection through grounding and maybe surrender your questions to the trees. Shinrin yoku is the Japanese term for forest bathing. Take a walk along the trail and breathe in clean fresh rejuvenating air. This is guaranteed to bring you back to center and balance.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
– Alexandra Domelle
Conclusion
Balance and ease can be achieved anytime of day. It is best to prime ourselves in the morning. Make calmness a priority, make our dedication to our highest good unwavering. Notice nature to remind us that all is well and there is infinite well of good from within. How will you be handling your day to day?
It is the simple things that we do consistently and persistently that bring us compounding effects. Why not make these simple commitments on a daily basis and chart your progress. We can grow in areas of our lives that we choose to focus on, committing and continuous evaluation and course correction is really powerful.
Take an honest look at where you are
Each day we can get closer to the version of ourselves that we intend. But we must know where we are going and where we are at. Sometimes we get distracted by unimportant tasks because being busy feels good and taking an honest look at where we are and where we sincerely want to go makes us uncomfortable. Be strategic and try to see things for the next 10 years vs for the next 10 days. Be comfortable in listening to your true desires. Forget about what other people think or even your own expectations. Sit still and really ask this important question; what do I ultimately desire in my life? Create the necessary tweaks and simple practices that change the trajectory of your life, leading you to your truer goal. Optimize for your future self 10 years from now. Progress may not be evident in the short run but keep your daily check ins and log your small wins and see where you can go in a month, quarter, year and 10 years.
Muster up the courage to really look at where you are, are you aligned with your long term goal? What actions are you going to do today that leads to your long term goal? Stay open and flexible, clear and determined, never indifferent. Remember that there is a version of yourself you have yet to meet. A wiser, richer, more loving, stronger and better in whatever aspect you choose to be. What does truly matter to you? Maybe it is simple, maybe it is audacious, one thing is for sure, you have to get on it.
“The bigger the vision, the better the decisions”
– Dan Sullivan
See it in your mind, hold it in your hand
If you can desire it, you are bound to have it. But what is stopping most of us? It is our unconscious bias. We might believe that we are capable of amazing things and get excited about it but our unconscious bias kicks in. We might have been programmed when we were young that some things are impossible or we are incapable. We can counter this programming by affirmations, repeated statements of the truth what we want to become. We continuously create our lives day to day through what we believe ourselves to be. Henry ford said; whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right. Emerson also said; “There’s nothing capricious in nature, and the implanting of a desire indicates that its gratification is in the constitution of the creature that feels it.” So strengthen your positive inner self talk. Be your own motivational coach and accountability buddy. Be not afraid or intimidated by your own capability. Own it, embody it and claim it.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
– Maria Robinson
Exclude all nonsense
This is raising your floor, raising your standards. Let go of activities and thoughts that take up real estate in your head. In mindfulness meditation, ask what are thoughts that are taking up your time that yields no benefit and takes you farther from your goal? Let go of non essentials. From time to time stop for 60 seconds and be aware of where you are hanging out mentally, are you intentionally distracting yourself? Maybe take a deep breath and return to center and redirect the focus on what really matters in this moment. Batch for flow, avoid switching tasks often. It is tempting to do everything all at once but it in reality it slows us down rather than what we think on the surface level. Bypassing the immediate urge to act on an impulse helps a lot too. Stay focused on what you decided upon, get pulled by your future self rather than being pulled back by your past self. Do less but with better quality. Through the power of stillness and intention, we can rise above the chaos and will be able to decide which things can be let go.
“Only as high as I reach can I grow; only as far as I seek can I go; only as deep as I look can I see; only as much as I dream can I be.” –
– Karen Ravin
The actor’s technique
Act as if you are the person of your ideal. As within so without, as above so below. Stanislavsky’s modern acting technique involves asking one’s self these questions to prepare for a role. Who am I?, Where am I?, When is it?, What do I want?, Why do I want it?, How will I get it?, What do I need to overcome? Each day we have the opportunity to create and recreate ourselves. We are the stars of our own motion picture so make time to prepare for your role each day by asking these questions.
In stillness you can mentally rehearse, rile up yourself to feel about your ideal self. This creates your being. Sustain this feeling of being your ideal. Listen to the voice of your ideal. Change your internal, and observe your external. Make it a discipline to not leave your meditative state until you feel your best.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
– Socrates
Feel the fear and do it anyway
This phrase is a book title by Susan Jeffers. One of the many insights from the book is to not put any type of power outside of one’s self. To be always centered. The moment we put power outside ourselves is the start of imbalance. Take charge of everything that happens to us. Accountability, responsibility and foresight will save us a lot of pain and repeated mistakes.
Fear is false evidence appearing real, if something is hindering you from your goals, take a deep breath, feel the fear and do it anyway. We will fail for sure, but we will fail in the right direction and coming back wiser and more capable. Everything we desire and what we could be is on the other side of fear. We know this and hear this all the time but when do we really intentionally face fear head on? Make it a deliberate practice to face something that you fear daily and you’ll find that it really is not as big of a deal as the mind puts it out to be. The mind tends to inflate and exaggerate everything leaving us paralyzed in indecision, shake it up by jumping in, getting in the flow and engaging rather than ruminating. Clarity comes in engagement.
Through inquiries like; what are my unconscious thoughts that are making me fearful? We get to control and choose our behavior either to give up or worrier up. That up is up to you!
“Taking responsibility means never blaming anyone else for anything you are being, doing, having, or feeling.”
– Susan Jeffers
Act. Observe. Course correct.
As we stay focused and centered, commuted to the version of our selves we ought to be. We are going to be dynamic, moving through our days with confidence. As we deploy actions and plans make sure we observe and evaluate our results each day and take note of new discoveries and knowings that we may apply next. Always remember, everything is in motion and subject to change, so find that sweet spot between flexibility and being focused. Think of the Inertial navigation systems by aircrafts, it works by using accelerometers and gyroscopes to calculate position, velocity, and other elements of movement. As the aircraft continues to travel along its path, the INS device will continuously calculate and update all the motion elements via information received from motion sensors. Your sensors are how you feel about your progress and your destination, and how you feel about them can be maneuvered through intentional thinking, affirmations, reflection and commitment.
“When a heart has set a course, let it navigate the laughter in failure and generosity in overcoming crisis. Love weaves lives and distills.”
– James Emlund
Strengthen positivity bias
The mind is wired to see what’s lacking. Our ego’s never run out of demands. Through simple awareness and intention, we can shift the mind’s negative tendencies. Give everything spaciousness. Before reacting, make time to turn things around towards a much more positive response. As we do this more often, we can train ourselves to become more positive. Aside from spaciousness another obvious tool for positivity is gratitude. Make time to affirm what you are grateful for, make it specific. You can do it anytime, name three things that you are grateful for, it can be as simple as clean water, a bed and a home. Make this habit multiple times a day, maybe set a timer that each and every three hours you practice gratitude. It is easy when our vibe and emotions are in neutral or equanimity. Let us not wait when we are in an anxious situation before doing something about it. Stack your positivity, pray and increase faith so that no external variable can penetrate your peace. Nothing is good or bad. Thinking makes it so. Think on good, blessed, amazing things.
“This is the essence of the Rebbe’s Positivity Bias: To believe in God’s ultimate goodness, to know that blessings await us beneath the surface of our experience, no matter how bleak, to actively seek those blessings out, and to spread their light to the world beyond.”
– Mendel Kalmelson
Savor for 30 seconds
Spaciousness, moments of gratitude, mindful awareness, these are your tools for equanimity and returning to your center. Savoring for 30 seconds is one of my favorites. Appreciate where, who and what you are for 30 seconds and bring ease to the heart. Ungrip the tension in the muscles and shoulders, get back in flow rejuvenated and engage in relaxed, effortless effort. Understand impermanence, our pain comes from resisting change. Be in flow with the ever changing world inside and outside of you. Our cells rejuvenates at a rate of millions per second. You are changing as you read this. Let’s open to this impermanence, be ok with it and grow and flow with it. It is the whole essence of life isn’t it? Savor the breaths, savor the change, savor your freedom.
“When we hygger, we frame the moment, give it our full attention, savour and hold it, in an awareness that the moment will pass. We feel how one moment becomes layered on to the next; past and present mingled together – everything falling into place, into one accord.”
Simple practices yield compounding results. Be clear and dedicated to these blueprints that we have discussed. Pick ones that resonate, these are simple concepts of mindfulness, gratitude and commitment. What is your favorite tool? What and how are you going to integrate it to your day to day? Any bold actions? Any new curiosities? Any morning practices? Feel free to share.