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 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.
We all trip over and fall down every once in a while. It happens to us unexpectedly and after a certain time we come back stronger and smarter. If we look back on the causes of these trials, most often than not it is because of our choices. Things that happen externally that might appear unrelated to our way of being reveal their connection and oneness through lessons. All that happens to us is because of our way of being, perception of ourselves and the world. These prompts and insights are here to help you own your life, learn the lessons and avoid repeating them by understanding the basic principles of mind.
The intellect you cling to is limited
From the moment we wake up, most of us automatically jump into the role of who we were yesterday and prepared to repeat the same story. Joe Dispenza calls this the trap of the familiar past and the predictable future. The mind is comfortable with what it knows so it sticks to those two certain things. But your real freedom lies in the generous now. Now is where the birth of new ideas are, where the creation of your future self is, imagine a caterpillar birthing into a moth and Phoenix from ash. Empower your SELF over the mind by sitting still. Know the truth of your being and let the mind’s chatter be. Your mind is your intellect but it’s not intelligence. Intelligence is the one that moves and runs the universe, your intellect tries to understand how it works and is never satisfied with answers. Know the place of intellect, it is good with some things like planning and checking the bank balance and tuning the car up but that’s not the whole of what you are. You are awareness and divine intelligence, an expression of the divine, unique and never incorrect. We all just are in the process of life be lifing. So when presented with complexities by the mind; say thank you mind for your contributions but I’m sitting here for now, breathing and looking at the sky.
“Can you accept the notion that once you change your internal state, you don’t need the external world to provide you with a reason to feel joy, gratitude, appreciation, or any other elevated emotion?”
-Joe Dispenza
Get an alternate perspective
If the mind hooks you in with attractive demands such as; “you should do this and be like that or else it won’t be a good thing for me and others and you will fail”. Take a step back and observe this conversation of the mind and SELF. Sit still and be grounded, once again, thank your mind for its opinion but the real you, the SELF is complete in and of itself and do not need to fall prey to the minds demands. Try getting an alternate perspective, the one that feels gentler and kinder. The choice that promotes growth and nurturing. Lean in to what feels right not what the mind thinks is best. Feeling transcends understanding and is more powerful and creative. It is the Buddha and Christ in you. It is conscious awareness. In an alternate perspective you get to access “omniperception”. You get to understand what is best for the ocean, not just what’s good for a single drop. From time to time, take a step back and get an alternate perspective. Learn this habit and bring ease and harmony to your day to day.
“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.”
– William Blake
Quit certainty cold turkey
Let go of always needing to know. The mind is never at ease even though all information is out there, there is always something it needs to know. Curiosity opens up new worlds and is the doorway to creativity but there is a difference between open inquiry and wanting things a certain way. If we always impose our preferences and beliefs into everything we encounter there will be no room for miracles. Try being comfortable with uncertainty. Try this mantra “I may have preferences but I really don’t mind what happens next”. Either it will or not won’t. This is neither a fortune nor a misfortune, it is just is. Try to quit our attachment to certainty and observe a lightness in the heart and your whole being.
“You want to know my secret? You see, I don’t mind what happens.”
– Jiddu Krishnamurti
Figure it out by observing not thinking
Sit still and be quite for a certain amount of time and there will be nothing that you can not know. Everything is divinely simple, there’s a spiritual answer and solution to everything. When bothered by complexity and indecision, take a moment to observe. Observe yourself being bothered, observe your physical self sitting and thinking of the problem. In this practice we get off our mental loops and get to see things for what they really are. You are awareness, not circumstances. Circumstances change and can not be controlled and it doesn’t have any power to disturb your peace unless you allow it. Always remember, things are mostly fine if we stop fiddling with it. Let most things be, let your loved ones be, let your natural well being be in balance, harmony, life affirming and giving. Brilliant insights come in observing and not judging, be sensitive to whispers from eternity.. They are subtle so quieten the intellect and be a mindful observer.
“Mother Nature is always speaking. She speaks in a language understood within the peaceful mind of the sincere observer. Leopards, cobras, monkeys, rivers and trees; they all served as my teachers when I lived as a wanderer in the Himalayan foothills.”
– Radhanath Swami
Be truly happy knowing that happiness is fleeting
The secret location of happiness is found in the abandonment for the need for it. Stop looking for happiness outside of you, what you have been looking for is what you already are. How many more shiny objects and promotions do you think you need? What ever you are looking for, let me stop you right there. You are already that. Yearn for inner joy, calm and tranquility than happiness that is instantly followed by despair. Be not attached nor afraid of anything…. Loss, change and disrepute. Stay in your equanimity and be above all the crash of breaking worlds. Here you are, sitting, smiling taking this journey gently, with ease and gratitude.
“You only want to be happy. All of your aspirations, no matter what they are, are a yearning for happiness. Basically, you wish yourself well…desire isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s life itself, the desire to expand one’s horizons of knowledge and experience. It is your decisions that are incorrect. To believe that something as insignificant as food, sex, power, or fame can make you happy is to deceive oneself. Only anything as big and profound as your true self can completely and permanently bring you joy.”
– Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Truth comes when you stop grappling with it
Imagine a pond of water, if you disturb it by swishing the water all around using a stick the water will turn muddy, unclear and unsettled. But leave it alone for a couple of hours and the sediments settle at the bottom and the water becomes sparkly and clear once again. The stick is our intellect trying to run hither and tither asking all sorts of nonsense, demanding this and that leaving us with a muddy perception of the truth. Stop disturbing the waters and we shall find truth. Truth of peace, love, clarity and abundance.
“All you need is a calm mind. Once your mind is tranquil, everything else will fall into place. Self-awareness affects mental changes in the same way as the rising light affects the environment. Inner energies awaken in the light of calm and steady self-awareness and create miracles without any effort on your behalf.”
– Nisargadatta Maharaj
The purpose of life is life itself
The million dollar question of the purpose of life. What is the purpose of life? It is life itself. It is all the courage and battles of your ancestors summed up in your DNA. You, being a divine spark of light from the cosmos entering your mums womb, hung out for 9 months and cried for air and has never stopped breathing. Your mission to lighten up the load of mankind and be a light to those in the dark. To leave things better than you find them. To become awake to everyday miracles. You digest sunlight and turn it to energy. You are constantly putting together pieces of your masterpiece. No matter how hard you search, you will be brought back to yourself. Be ok with life. It is pretty astounding to be here.
“Be a lamp unto yourself, make of yourself a light’ were the last words of the Buddha. no teacher or outside authority can give us the truth or take it away. in the end, we will find that our heart holds the simple wisdom and unshakable compassion that we have sought all along.”
– Jack Kornfield; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path
Afterthoughts
You are done running around looking for answers and asking questions. Let go of the need to know. Practice silence and prayer. Nothing can bother you but your own mind untrained so become a master in letting a story go and shifting perspectives. Not immediately reacting is a beneficial tool to. Just smile, be at ease and know all is well.
Do you think you stay the way you are all through out your life? Do you believe that your capabilities are predetermined and dependent on genetics? If so, you have a fixed mindset missing out on a lot of possibilities and potential manifestations laying dormant in your system.
It doesn’t need to be this way, the fact that you are reading this is a sign that you are curious in breaking free from having a fixed mindset. Let’s know more about these mindsets and get on towards actionable tips to apply in our day to day.
You are perfect the way you are … and could use a little improvement
This insight is from Shunryu Suzuki (Beginners Mind). This one has stuck with me for a long time now and comes quite handy in staying in the middle of being and becoming. Your improvement is what you are. Deepak Copra said to view life as a verb for we are always changing moment to moment through breath, thoughts, emotions and food. The thing to keep in mind is to how we are changing, is it towards the higher Good of ourselves and others? or to degradation, atrophy and indifference. Lean in to what inspires, it might be little and simple, but know that it is important.
We often catch ourselves saying “this thing is not for me, I’m not the type of person who does this, I could never accomplish that” these are fixed mindsets and can easily be shifted to “this is not the thing for me right now but I can give it a try and see how it feels, I’m not the type of person who does this but let me give it a try and see how it feels, I could never accomplish that but I can start with this simple small step right now.” Adding yet to a “not” statement is handy too.
Watch your thoughts all through out the day and catch your mind if you have an unconscious fixed habit that hinders you from trying something new.
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed no hope at all.”
– Dale Carnegie
Becoming is your being
This insight is inspired by Carol Dweck (Mindset). She said, becoming is better than being but we can also view it as one and the same thing. You are gradually becoming even if no effort is applied. The life within us expresses its majesty even if you are just sitting doing nothing. We often get wrapped up in what is needed to be done and finished but as Alan Watts said, the music is enjoyed not per note and not just the final bang. Be gentle in your gradual becoming, take on the pace of nature. Gentle, secure, grounded & correct in all aspects. Enjoy your moment to moment arrival always at an interesting place. That’s all there is, we just are always in an interesting place and the next small step is up to you. Make that step one of effortless effort.
“The Universe contains three things that cannot be destroyed; Being, Awareness and LOVE”
– Deepak Chopra
Do you embrace challenges?
Make a habit of seeking challenge, in seeking challenge, we grow and widen our domain of familiarity. We create new neural connections, we create paths of opportunities. I always keep in mind and have practiced that if I deliberately challenge myself first thing in the morning, the rest of the day is easy. It can be something physical or something mentally challenging like creating something. Befriend challenges and discover a better version of yourself.
“Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew.”
– Cicely Tyson
Do you accept and learn from criticism?
This might seem simplistic but this time let’s be more intentional about this. Accepting criticism is hard because the ego only listens to praise and self aggrandizement. In our self actualization journey, knowing the difference between your ego and your real self is key to mastery. Nurture the part of you that is open to listen and change; that is your real self. The one that can’t accept criticisms is your ego, and in refusing to change, learn and grow it inflicts pain. We have discussed in earlier posts that when we believe the separateness of ego, it only hurts us. So from time to time, ask yourself (What is this situation trying to teaching me?)
“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”
– Norman Vincent Peale
Are you more clever than bewildered?
We were all once a kid, remember your curiosities when you were 7? We must not lose this sense of bewilderment. In mindful noticing of things around, you will find yourself flabbergasted with awe only if you take the time to look closely with curious appreciation. Look at a leaf, a rock and a tree, watch cars and trains pass by, breathe and observe the sparkles of the sun on the water. Imagine outer space, imagine time before and after you are here, isn’t it too amazing? Here’s a fact to be bewildered upon; “There are more patterns of connections between neurons in your brain than there are sub atomic particles in the universe” look up the work of Gerald Edelman. We often times get clever and assume that our way of thinking is the only way and we end up taking for granted possibilities.
So the next time you feel the urge to dismiss a certain situation or event. Approach it with new eyes. Everything can be experienced anew, even brushing your teeth.
“That’s the ruling story on this planet. We live suspended between Love & Ego”
– Richard Powers
Observe your attitude towards learning
Do you ever find yourself saying, “Oh he’s just a natural when it comes to basketball, I’m not”. Swap it with “He put a ton of time practicing to achieve that, I’m able to achieve that skill level if I put my time and effort on it. Consume inspiring media and connect with people who encourage a growth mindset. Be mindful of your unconscious biases, once you identify them it will be the start of unstoppable growth.
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
– Zig Ziglar
Learn about neuro plasticity
Learn about the the most amazing thing between your ears and what it is capable of. Click here if you wanna deep dive on this topic. Our brains, like our muscles are capable of changing to where your desires take you. If you want a brain with an immense capability for playing music, start practicing 1 song. You are moldable and ever changing. Just thinking of this brings a feeling of liberation. I used to not be able to touch my toes but now my padahastasana (yoga pose) rocks. So imagine what you could be, write out a simple plan and act on it daily for 66 days. It’s fun and you’ll discover parts of yourself you never knew existed.
“I was suitably impressed with the eighty-six billion neurons that glittered like stars in the skull but was a little overwhelmed by the idea that the constellations could be moved, shaped, and changed negatively and positively.”
– Jennifer Fraser
Practice makes permanent
What we practice gets easier and soon enough becomes automatic. Grow into the person who does the type of thing you desire through deliberate practice. Make walking around the block a permanent practice by doing it daily no matter the weather conditions may be. It is not enough to learn something; daily application is where compounding growth is. When the mind hints you to “skip it”, do a 5 second countdown and just do it anyway. You’ll thank yourself later. It is always best to track your progress and do a daily assessment in the evening on how you did that day.
“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.”
– Archilochus
“ There are no shortcuts. It will take you at least a decade to achieve expertise, and you will need to invest that time wisely, by engaging in “deliberate” practice—practice that focuses on tasks beyond your current level of competence and comfort.”
Afterthoughts
Knowing the difference between having a growth mindset and a fixed mindset; where do you think you stand? In what ways are you having a fixed mindset and in what ways are you having a growth mindset? What possibilities do you imagine for yourself if you cultivate more growth mindedness?
Know what the cause of what makes you feel incomplete. Liberate yourself from what’s hindering you by knowing and practicing simple principles. Apply and sustain these 8 ways of li ing in your day to day and become more at peace with life.
Right View
“And what is right view? Knowing about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. This is called right view.”
Pali Canon
To practice right view, we need to let go of the concept of the world as fixed. View the world as constantly changing, imagine the seasons and the circle of life. In practicing right view, we won’t be attached to relative concepts that will inevitably change. Practicing right view also implies that everything is interconnected and a part of the whole. Make it a habit to check in moment to moment on how are you thinking right this moment. Are you perceiving a certain thing from a narrow lens? Can you widen your understanding regarding this situation? What am I resisting? What is preventing me from having a right view?
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
– Wayne Dyer
Right Intention
Apply the power of your mind to intend renunciation and surrender. Right intention means selfless detachment, putting your higher self first before the ego. We often times get caught up by the demands of the ego because it is louder, it is what we see on the external and it keeps on bugging us with its endless chatter. Let go of attachment to possessions and beliefs. Often times because of habit, we become addicted to the egos story. It doesn’t need to be this way. Disrupt this pattern by internally replying to the ego; “no thanks”. From time to time, ask; what are my intentions behind pushing forward with this specific thing? Why am I deliberately pouring energy towards it? Is it self serving? Am I aimed at the highest possible good besides my own? Are my intentions for the whole or for just a small part? Is this harming others?
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.”
– Dhammapada
Right Speech
Yogic tradition has it that speech must pass before three barriers prior to being uttered aloud. These barriers come in the form of three questions: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?
Your word is your wand, your word is law. Be mindful with our speech. If urging to speak but not one of benevolence, beauty, praise and usefulness it is best to practice “noble silence”. Abstain from lies and gossip and only speak of truth, noble and God like matters. Our speech is the next level of manifestation of our thought, it is more real in wave form as compared to thought. So we must be watchful of our speech.
“Be a light in the darkness. Speak healing ”
– Alex Kakuyo
Right Action
Make every action one of honorability, peacefulness and morality. In practicing the right view, intention, and speech, it will lead us to right action. Train ourselves in protecting and sustaining life around us. In treating everything around us as sacred, we will become more mindful in each act that we do. Maybe we consider segregating and recycling more thoroughly. Stop using plastic, these little things have a huge impact that we tend to underestimate.
“The practice of Right Action is a practice of faith, a faith that says what we do matters. We matter. And whether we’re refilling the coffee pot at work or speaking in front of a crowd of thousands, we have the power to change the world one small act at a time.”
– Alex Kakuyo
Right Livelihood
Integrate your talents that it may support the wellbeing of yourself, others and the planet. Maybe take a deeper look into the organization you are working for, is it ethically and morally aligned to your values? Is the organization harming animals and the planet? If so you might wanna shift to one that is working on positive change. There’s a lot of conscious companies out there that offer lots of opportunities.
“…Think of it as ‘Right Livelihood 2.0’… In addition to not causing harm to yourself or another, this is livelihood that is an expression of your Core Intention, work that you can fall in love with and that no longer feels like “work”: work that matters.”
– Maia Duerr
Right Effort
There are four aspects to right effort.
The effort to prevent unwholesome qualities from arising.
The effort to extinguish unwholesome qualities that already have risen.
The effort to cultivate skillful and wholesome qualities.
The effort to strengthen wholesome qualities that have already arisen.
In everything we do, keep in mind these four efforts. It is a very good tool to really look at how we are performing or serving our duty. Keeping our efforts wholesome with moment to moment check ins. As you go about the day and your work, keep an unwavering rectitude, unlimited forgiveness & unselfish performance of duty.
“By your own efforts waken yourself, watch yourself. And live joyfully.”
– Gautama Buddha
Right Mindfulness
Develop an accurate and precise awareness of the present moment with no opinions & judgements laid upon. Pay no attention to the filtered perceptions of the mind but it n the impermanence and interconnectedness of all things. That everything is subject to change, and a change in one thing causes others to change. See everything as an ever changing expression of the universe. Today may you have right mindfulness in thoughts, emotions and actions. We often get bummed by how others treat us, saying “they treat me this way causing me pain”; in right mindfulness ; “they treat me this way because that is how they are and it is ok”
“When right mindfulness is developed and made much of, one realizes what one should do and should not do. Whether one should speak or not speak. When one speaks, what should be spoken and not spoken. Right mindfulness is the basis for the development of the right path that culminates in knowledge, wisdom, contentment and the highest happiness.”
– Mithra Mettimury
Right Meditation
Right meditation or concentration means detaching from your sense perceptions. Have the mastery of not giving in to the immediate urges and impulses of the senses. With sustained and applied way of thinking, a certain joy will arise. A joy not coming from sensual pleasures, it comes from knowing, accepting and appreciating the way things are. Even this joy will subside and one enters equanimity, a state above pain and pleasure, sorrow and joy. In simply giving up our preferences, attachments and yearnings we liberate our selves from what we think we need to complete us. Sit still, give it time, and practice right meditation.
“You are not limited to this body, to this mind, or to this reality—you are a limitless ocean of Consciousness, imbued with infinite potential. You are existence itself.”
– Joseph Kauffman
Conclusion
We often feel constrained and being enslaved by our desired. Understand that there are many layers to your consciousness, you can easily rise above your torments simply by knowing that you are not your ego and its demands. You aren’t even your body or your persona, you are the whole of life and you can just watch from a safe place and appreciate it’s magnificence. Liberation can be attained where you are with these 8 practices. Make this your way of life and watch things around you change.
We are not our names, jobs and societal roles. These are merely constructs, concepts and stories. We are much bigger than we think we are. We are not our thoughts, actions & emotions. We are the awareness of the existence of all of these perceptions. Try thinking of a time before you existed and then towards a time that you don’t exist anymore, you can even bring your attention way towards outer space and see the earth as a blue marble. Who and what notices all of these experiences? Know the difference between your expanded consciousness and your egoic consciousness and knowing where to focus our attention will save us a lot of unnecessary misery.
Establish that you are not your identity/self image
Start the day by affirming this “I am eternal, immortal universal and infinite”. Much of our suffering comes from protecting the correctness, avoiding to learn, or running away from things that aren’t in congruent with our ego’s beliefs. Our ego’s beliefs are narrow, based on some teaching we picked up somewhere and why we believe them we can’t truly understand. In mindfulness, we can watch the ego’s biased choices, and opinions. Do not immediately entangle yourself or invest a whole lot of energy in protecting the ego’s position. Try to see things from a bird’s eye view and watch your ego’s murmurs diminish. If you entangle yourself with the ego’s demands, you will burn out and will never be at peace.
Suffering stems from your Self-Image. That you should be this and that and you can only be at peace when such and such has occurred. Sounds familiar? Here’s an essential truth, you can never control how others may react or think of you and you can never find peace outside of you. Be bigger than your identity, don’t take anything personally and too seriously. Make space to expand your being and to become part of all things. Treat everything with reverence and understanding. Imagine it’s the first day of school everyday, remember those days? We were so open and connected.
“We end up putting so much attention onto our image that we remain in a continuous state of protecting or improving our image in order to control how others see us.”
– Adyashanti
Let go of control
As much as we are invested in our self image, we are also addicted to control. Accept that control is an illusion and you immediately break free from the rigid requirements of your ego’s make beliefs. The trick here is to find balance and to know the extent of what you can control. You can devote yourself and try your best to plan a perfect picnic, but don’t get bummed if it unexpectedly rains. Show up with the best efforts you have and expect the higher power on how it will paint the picture. Mostly what we plan is very different from what the higher power has done laid for us. Be keen on picking up signs, be quick on learning the lesson, diligent in reading the messages, flexible in ways to progress and head on out with relentless yet gentle persistence.
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”
– Steve Maraboli
Be flexible on your beliefs
The small part of you is attached to what it knows. It will do everything to protect and defend its correctness, comfort and pleasure. We will open ourselves up to new heights and become truly aligned with our purpose if we are not bound by should and shouldn’ts of our beliefs. Establish a bright line that keeps you aligned with your truest values and principles but keep the door open to new ways of thinking and going about things and how other people are. In practicing this openness, collaborations happen and births of new things become possible.
“That which yields is not always weak.”
– Jacqueline Carey
Stop thinking that everything outside of you is a threat
Have in inclusive mindset. Include yourself by listening, smiling and understanding. Nothing is a threat unless you make it so. Even in front of a wild animal, embody oneness. Tune in to the feeling of all life creating more life. In diversity there is evolution, are you growing with it or afraid of it? You were not afraid jumping into this human experience so why should anything be a threat to you? Listen to your inner knowing more than your ego. If a hunch is telling you to try something new, go for it before the ego pushes you back to comfort. So get used to a lot of unexpected stuff, unknown places & unusual people and accept them as part of one beating beautiful life. We just intersect and interact once in a while to push each other up to greater awareness. No big deal, we will all return to the one eternal consciousness anyways so appreciate all the variety you can while you are here.
You are not separate from everything you perceive outside of you. The sooner you understand and practice this the sooner you will find peace and eliminate suffering. Much of your suffering is in the mind only, learn the habit of constantly dropping stories you latch onto and you set yourself free.
“We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.”
– William James
Stop believing the thoughts that make you suffer
We have learned to practice STOP in our previous entry. Stop, Take a deep breath, Observe & Proceed. Create space between your awareness and your thoughts. Our thoughts happen of themselves but our investment in them is where we trip. We get wrapped up and it puts us in a constrained limited world where the only reality is the world that makes us suffer.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Doing the work by Byron Katie really comes in handy in these challenging times. Ask these 4 questions in times when you are entangled in thoughts of suffering.
Is it true?
Is it absolutely true?
Who would you be without this thought?
What would it be like if I turn this around?
Conclusion
In studying the difference between our ego and awareness, we learn where our suffering comes from and know how to manage them through simple shifting of attention and some inquiry.
Our inner world and outer world are not separate. Transcend the illusion of separateness and you shall find peace. Go above the judgement of good & bad and you have accessed the space of non duality. Always be centered where all is in balance and equanimity. Here in lies your piece.
Although letting go of your beliefs might feel like dying, you are dying to give birth to a more peaceful version of yourself, one that is free from suffering, Christ like and carries joy every where you may roam.
Sharing is caring. Let’s raise the consciousness of humanity one small act at a time.
“Life without a plan, As useless as the moment it began, Serves merely as a soil for discontent. To thrive in, an encumbrance ere half spent.”
– James Allen
You opened up your mind and tried many practices, ideologies, and activities but you still feel you aren’t where you are supposed to be. You work yourself to the point of burning out and still feel unfulfilled? No matter how hard you try there is always something lacking in your life. You do not need to look elsewhere for the answer is already with you. With just a minor tweak in your thinking, you are well on your way to living a better version of yourself. Your life’s worth is not dependent on what you do, what you produce, or what you have to give. It is how you feel about each moment in your life that adds up and make the quality of your life. So with these prompts, let’s make one of ease, simplicity, & impact.
Master your mornings
Make a commitment the night before. Decide the time of waking. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep. Make sure you hit these crucial points upon waking.
Silence
Affirmation
Visualization
Tidy up
Movement
Identify Key 3 Key Actions that aligns with your last ng term goal
Mastering your mornings will speed up your self-actualization. You will learn a lot about yourself and you will build the type of person who can rise above the norm and is one of high performance and excellence. Before achieving greatness, start by mastering your mornings.
“Remember, the moment you accept total responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you claim the power to change anything in your life.”
– Hal Elrod
Break free from the constant urge to do something
After you have identified the person you intend to become, you will constantly be bombarded by distractions. Once you have decided on a particular thing, commit to it till it’s done. It’s always helpful to be specific. An example would be the law of 100, 100 push-ups, 100 articles, 100 emails, 100 paintings, it is up to you. You won’t have time for distractions because you have your blinders on focused on those 100 somethings that you have decided to put your focus on. It doesn’t need to be 100, the key here is to aim for a specific number to finish in a certain time frame for a certain amount of days. You get to design this so there will be no reason for it to not fit your lifestyle. Aren’t you psyched? What 100 of something are you aiming for?
When you feel the impulse to do something ask, does this help me in achieving the goal I have decided for myself?
“At the end of the day, you can’t control the results; you can only control your effort level and your focus.”
– Ben Zobrist
Drop in and deepen the moment
You can always drop in and be present even in the middle of your day-to-day activities. There is immense depth in each moment and it can be a gateway to eternity and total peace. You can drop into this state in he middle of washing dishes, doing laundry and cleaning. Carry presentness not only in your morning routine but all through out the day. Keep the expandedness you cultivated in your morning meditation, it is a space that will keep you safe from all ever changing external circumstances. Whenever feeling constrained, just drop in and know that you are much bigger than all that surrounds you.
“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.”
– Eckhart Tolle
Perform an act of kindness
What makes us suffer is our delusion of separateness. Often times we ask what is in it for us before doing anything. This leads to very little or no return in energy. Be giving in ways that you are unique and you shall be compensated in unexpected ways. Big heart = Big profit, Little heart = Little profit. We are not separate from each other and how we serve. Imagine your external as a mirror. You are helped as you help. You are glorified as you glorify. Inside of us is an infinite well of stamina and enthusiasm. So open up and don’t be stingy on what you can give, you have a lot.
“Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won’t have to hunt for happiness.”
William Gladstone
Stop putting things off and face what needs facing
In living with intention, start being accountable for your situation. Start with little things, tidy up your personal space, be on time with your financial obligations, keep your kitchen organized and schedule those experiences that have been wanting to become reality. Face things as they are and the intensity of their overwhelm diminishes, put them off and it grows stronger from a lizard to a dragon. Nip it in the bud before it gets too beg and devours you. Most of them are really easy and just needs a little decisiveness and tenacity which you already have in you.
“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”
– Benjamin Franklin
Do more of the things that make you feel alive
Indulge your creativity. Cultivate the courage to create. What you are interested in right now is only a bridge to many doors of more curiosities that will lead to more skills and opportunities. A couple of hours of flow state a day will keep you balanced and keep you connected to your higher self, the real you. So whatever it may be, drawing, dancing, walking, cooking, engage in it and be one with it. Intend this important activity. A couple of hours of feeling truly alive will get you through any issues that might come across in your day.
“Keep taking time for yourself until you are you again.”
– Lalah Delia
Let go of the habit of revisiting old negative stories
Disrupt the pattern of replaying the same story. The mind only does this because it sticks to what it knows. It has found comfort in it’s own misery. Drop the old story, flip the narrative and start anew. Treat it like an old movie that you have grown out of. Today try writing a new screenplay, one of triumph, epic adventure and a guaranteed happy ending. All are just stories you tell yourself, why not make it a good one. Remember all we need is just a little intention and decisiveness. Decide that today is a good story and so it will be.
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
“Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.”
“This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Stop waiting for the ideal path to appear
The ideal path won’t be presented to you on a silver platter. The universe doesn’t owe you a framework to follow. Everything outside of you is in hazy wave form, you harden them into material form through thought and inspired action. Be open to paths to take in order to arrive closer to your north star. There are many ways to peel an orange. How you will arrive at your desired destination is up to you. One thing is for sure, you gotta move towards it. Just take that one single step forward each day and be aware of the changes along the way.
“Luck comes to a man who puts himself in the way of it. You went where something might be found and you found something, simple as that.”
– Louis L’amour
Maintain composure in the amidst change
Our natural state is one of balance. Work on your inner stability so strong that no external test can make you wobble. Do not take anything too seriously. Give everything space, allow them to be. Everything is just another one of those. You are one of billions who are having the same experience and actually if you are reading this, you are doing pretty good. You are taking charge in empowering yourself with tools to navigate this ever changing world. Strengthen your centeredness. It is best to establish this early in the morning.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”
– Romans 8:28
Afterthoughts
Serenity can be accessed anytime of day. Nourish and nurture what your higher self or real self calls you to become. With dedication to your mission, commitment, diligence, watchfulness, energy and effort all can be attained. Work with the great power higher than ourselves. Make each day count by making the right choices. The power is in you, now.
It is in our nature to always be looking for the next thing. The moment life presents us with something exciting may it be intrinsic or extrinsic in nature, our appreciation for it seems to always be fleeting. We binge watch entertainment, devour food, go from place to place and our minds are never here. We are always onto the next thing. This helps us in our expansion and growth but without making time to cherish what we already have we end up missing the point of our journey leaving us depleted and confused. It doesn’t need to be this way. With these simple reminders, may we appreciate the things we have done or have, filling our cups up with overflowing joy before we venture for anything more.
Your Uniqueness
What makes you different makes you special. It is the way we see this uniqueness that most people are misguided. Being different should not be frowned upon or feel bad about. Gone are the days of conformity, it served us back in the industrial age when people were trained to become factory workers. But with technology and automation, creativity and being different in the way you think is of prized value. Think of creative new ways of doing things. Evolve things that has been written, maybe give a traditional recipe a new twist. Being different should be shared and celebrated. You are a manifestation of the divine knowing itself as you go through life. You are unique, valued, needed and play a part in this great miracle of life. So, what’s unique about you and how will it add to the beauty of the world?
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium, and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”
– Geneen Roth
All Your Experiences
You may think you did lots of things that were of no use and was a waste of your time. We take these experiences for granted, internships, minimum wage jobs, a friend you used to hang out with, activities you used to enjoy, hobbies you stopped pursuing. All of those contributed to who you are right now. So it is really helpful to look back and pick an experience that you might think was useless and take another look and find something in that experience that helped you. Remembering what we have learned keeps us from nature pushing us to relearn a certain lesson. All your experiences matter and should be valued, try thinking like this.
“The only source of knowledge is experience.”
– Albert Einstein
Daily Learnings
Each day there is a lesson to be learned. A lot of times hidden under our discomforts and judgements. Be in completion with the version of yourself yesterday in seeking these tiny valuable gems. It will lead you closer to the version of yourself you aspire to be. Maybe a more compassionate, understanding, open, flexible and creative. Try as much as you can, moment to moment, ask: “what is this trying to teach me?”.
“Learning never exhausts the mind.”
– Leonardo Da Vinci
Transitions
All of our time here are eternally happening moment to moment. All is now, always transitioning from this to that. Often times we project our thoughts to a certain situation that we tend to lose touch with the now. It is ok to plan and think ahead but always turn your attention to here. We can only design our future up to a certain extent, the real deal is what is happening right now. You, reading this, somewhere, transitioning to a version of yourself that is more present and grateful. Knowing that we are always transitioning, find and acknowledge beauty each and everywhere you look.
“The three realms of existence are as transient as autumn clouds. The birth and death of beings go on like a dance show. The lives of beings pass by like a flash of lightning in the sky, Rushing down, like a cascading waterfall down a steep mountain.”
– The Buddha
The Familiar
We tend to take familiar things for granted but they are as important as the new and exciting ones. All we need to do is to see familiar things in an unfamiliar way. You might have taken the place you are in for granted, your talents perhaps? Daily routines may turn mundane and un eventful, but it would be of great advantage if we do some simple reframing. Your usual route might be reframed from “this is my route for years and I’m bored” to “the sky looked different today and the waters sparkled unlike any other day”. Do not take the “Familiar” for granted, it is there because it works and it serves you. What familiar thing in your daily life are you going to reframe as new?
I“t takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”
– Alan Cohen
Your Body
Yes we are more than this meat suit made of flesh and bones but this is really where we most spend our time. This is where your spirit lives and it is your instrument for creation. It is sacred and never take your body for granted. Unleash its full potential by self care, exercise and proper diet. Make your inner light shine through your eyes and skin. Flow and be vibrant by raising your alkalinity through good thoughts, good food and applying best practices for self care. You can design your own rituals and regimen. Nourish and love your body, it will love you back a thousand folds.
“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”
– Buddha
The Fact That You Are Reading This
The fact that you are reading this means you are practicing self care. You are taking charge of your personal growth, you are probably in your beautiful home, having tea and can breathe deeply and smile. You probably finished some degree and have a craft that sustains you or people who love you that has got your back. Approximately 700,000,000 million people aren’t educated enough to read so this is a good one to be thankful for.
“Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day.”
-Thornton Wilder
Conclusion
Hope we give these insights the attention they deserve. Our lives are made up of these little things and you know what they say about little things…. They are not little.
