Practising Mindfulness

Category: personal power

  • The Power to Choose over the Pervasive Influence of Anxiety

    We can of course get drugs to fix most things (or so we’re led to believe) and are the drugs a long term healthy fix? We may also be led to believe we’re powerless to make the changes we need. We may believe we’re unable to take control

    Intentional or not it is in the drug industries interest that we continue to believe we need their assistance. There is no doubt modern medicines have their place and value. It would certainly never be for me to advise anyone about medication prescribed by professionals. We must remember that those professionals are as reliant on drugs as those they prescribe them to. So rather than this reliance, we can seek to find the answers from within ourselves, and if those answers are beyond any recourses we hold, we must educate ourselves into changing our thinking. How does that sound? Challenging? To love a challenge we must firstly keep an eye on the prize.

    Some, after many years of searching, finally see the true reasons for their difficulties. Those that find the answers can then help us take a shortcut; a rabbit run to our prize. To take advantage of this we must listen and pay attention. We must be mindful

    Always stop and take a moment to consider the root causes. What are our responses to anxiety and fear? So many children are pacified with sweets and food. Children struggle to deal with strong emotions. Parents often struggle to deal with their children’s emotions. Instead of remaining calm and reasoned a parent may instantly seek to ease their child’s unease with sweets and food. In whatever way we seek to ease our children’s upset, we can trace our own experiences back, and see how similar solutions were offered to us. These solutions have grown and mutated over time. We may be copying the behaviour we witnessed as a child. Sometimes we’re not even consciously aware of how we reach for the distraction before experiencing the emotion.

    Instead, we must make offerings of love, and comfort. We then wait for the mind to gain control in its own time. The avoidance of feelings, through the usual unhealthy distractions, only delays the inevitable. They will always surface in some form. If we continue to eat, instead of feeling and working through anxiety, we end up with all the associated diseases that come with obesity

    The root of our anxiety can be simple. A lonely child is standing in the que at the tuck shop because he is afraid. The sweets will act as a distraction and the sugar itself will lift his mood. When we spend time with the child within ourselves, this simple act, can ease our loneliness. As adults when we’re mindful of our habits – through seeing their root – they become less like habits. When we’re aware of the distraction the feelings will surface. We must feel them to be free of them. Will drugs help us with this? Or will our awareness?

  • Silence or You’ll Get What You Want

    In an interesting experiment I found that I got exactly what I didn’t and did want

    If ever you’ve looked to sell something, you’ll know, that the best way to achieve this (and remain calm) is, to accept that human beings are very curious creatures indeed. There are people who want the item you’re selling but can’t afford it. So these dreamers, in an attempt to feel closer to their dreams, will seek to waste your time in all manner of ways. There are serious buyers who simply refuse to pay what the item is worth (to you) so will also waste your time. And there are those who see an item, decide it’s worth, believe it’s genuine, make a decision, and then buy. I love these individuals. There are of course further examples of the type of people you’re likely to encounter but the three above are the main ones.

    When advertising your item, keep it simple and, in order to remain calm, remember the code of accepting you’ll get all manner of odd replies. If you don’t have the time or inclination don’t reply

    Something I’m currently advertising for sale is a motorcycle. Love them or loath them it seems to be a thriving market at the moment, and with the new season just around the corner, now is a good time to be selling. At the bottom of my ad I wrote: Serious contenders only, no silly questions please, I don’t have the time. Now this morning I had a lot of silly questions from an individual whose email address was sackmycook@ . . . I did indulge this guy and later laughed, a lot. Thankfully on this occasion I found it funny and interesting. I’ll call it an experiment and keep the wording as it is. As long as I remain mindful of keeping a sense of humour, and aware of how much time we all seem to have at playing each other, all will be well. It’s also worth remembering how our unconscious might be finding fulfillment of our expectations.

  • Perseverance

    Image by Linnaea_Mallette
    Whatever it is you want, regardless of knock-backs, difficulties or circumstances, perseverance is the quality always required in order to succeed

    We might ask the deeper question: what is required for us to have perseverance? Is this a quality some just naturally have or is it something acquired? I feel there is a certain recipe that will help us here.

    Firstly we must have passion. We must want the desired outcome passionately. Secondly, we must be able to keep the mind present and focused, on the desired outcome. Dwelling on past failures is the fire which turns perseverance to ashes. It really is a matter of ensuring our improvement isn’t hampered with thoughts of past performance. Be it a frame of snooker, a game of tennis, or gaining a qualification, dwelling on the last frame, game or test, will distract from the mater in hand: Winning.

    We humans love to win. We know that in order to win we must be better than all the rest. Yes we need natural talent, nevertheless, no matter how much natural talent we posses, believing we can simply win without perseverance and practice, leads to disappointment. We have to continually put the past where it belongs and keep going, on and on, regardless of how we might feel, or whatever circumstances we might be facing. This is perseverance.

    Unless dealt with, limiting aspects of the past can be an echo, that never fades

    Recognizing how the past can unconsciously influence the present is most certainly a skill we can learn. Briefly examining limiting behaviour is key. We must ask: how do I continue to replicate mistakes of the past? As odd as it might sound, understanding how we failed at our goals in the past, can help us to eliminate unconscious limitations.

    The unconscious mind will persevere in whatever direction it is focused. We must ensure it is correctly focused. Our beliefs come into play here and perseverance is required if we’re to question and change them. Once the past is dealt with, limiting beliefs removed and unfinished business concluded, we’re better able to direct the energy of our perseverance with the correct focus: Upward and onward.

    The first step is mental fitness learn how to improve this here.