Beyond your self limiting (& self aggrandized) beliefs
The Myth of Not Enough
"You can do anything, but you can't do everything."
If you want to get to the top of the mountain focus on the path.
In a culture of hustle (& you are almost certainly getting hustled)
it can be easy to imagine "I'm not doing enough".
What's usually more true is you're doing too much, but perhaps not one thing consistently enough to notice progress and feel a sense of achievement.
PONDER THIS
What's one project you'd like to progress?
What actions can you take today to progress said project?
What is likely to distract you from that project?
How will you handle those distractions?
BE STILL & SHINE LIKE THE SUN
"In uneventful times, The mind is easily distracted. Then you should make yourself still and let your true nature shine.
When things are happening all around you,
The mind is easily scattered, Then you should make your true nature shine and allow your center to become still."
Hung Ying-ming
Master of the Three Ways: Reflections of a Chinese Sage on Living a Satisfying Life
Beyond boredom is a state of calm, a sanctuary of inner peace, wisdom & deep rest.
Underneath the noise of stress, reactivity & busyness is a sanctuary of calm from which your best self can shine.
To avoid being controlled by boredom & busyness and become, instead, purposeful, productive, peaceful and present simply takes practice.
TRY THIS
Each morning take 3 - 30 minutes to connect with your body, mind & soul and set some clear intentions for the day (for a short video on how to do this click here).
Throughout the day slow down enough (particularly if you feel yourself stressed or rushing) to ask yourself these questions.
What is an ideal outcome I’m working toward in this moment?
What am I thinking?
What am I feeling (emotionally)?
What am I feeling in my body (physical sensations)?
Having checked in with my inner world is there a more ideal outcome available?
What’s the best next step to take?
Sit and Realise You Are More
"When not preoccupied with our selves, we actually have a chance to expand the concept of who we are. Loss of self-consciousness can lead to self-transcendence, to a feeling that the boundaries of our being have been pushed forward."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,.
Flow: The Psychology of Happiness
Stillness is a profound teacher for those willing to practice
Meditation is a vehicle for moving beyond who you think you are so that you can realise your potential.
TRY THIS
Each morning find a place to sit still for 3 - 15 minutes.
Notice what it’s like to be sitting still.
Feel the body breathing.
Know that you don't have to do anything, just be still & feel the breath & notice what it’s like.
When your time is up write down what you noticed.
You Are Ready
"You don't have to feel ready, you've just got to be ready"
Take the first step.
On a great day you might be emotionally, mentally, physically engaged.
Motivated and ready to go.
But if you wait motivation before you take action you'll not build the consistency to be able to switch on at will.
When you don’t feel like doing something you should be doing ………
REMEMBER THIS
You don’t have to feel ready to be ready
Your thoughts & emotions only hold you back if you let them.
Do the thing and you will get the energy to do the thing.
MOMENT(UM)
“real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”
Camus
Each moment is a gift
An opportunity to fully inhabit life as it is,
To embrace and be fulfilled.
And each moment is a stepping stone
An orientation to a future that is shaped by how you choose.
PONDER THIS
What practice is available to you now to become more present?
If you were fully present right now what would you do?
WHY ARE YOU HERE
"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
-Mark Twain
You were born into this world with abundant potential and possibilities, this human life is a blessing and you are capable of so much.
If even a portion of this potential is to be realised you must find something to aim at, something to live for.
Whether chosen or discovered a sense of purpose is a powerful force, a gift to you and (hopefully) humanity.
Your purpose is a worthy ideal (an idea or vision you love).
Something to orient to that's worth harnessing the power of mind/body/soul for.
Something worth stepping out of your comfort zone and taking consistent action toward.
Something worthy of overcoming impulse, distraction, weakness and resistance.
Purpose gives life meaning, direction and allows us to live courageously (from the heart).
It encourages you to honour this blessed life and use it for something good.
PONDER THIS
What's your "why"?
What's meaningful enough to you that your willing to devote your time and energy too?
What’s meaningful enough that you will do the work to be at your best?
What will you do today in service of your purpose?
The Tiger and The Monk
"Without the monk the tiger is a slave to impulse.
Without the tiger the monks freedom is trapped within."
Within each of us there is a tiger and a monk.
The tiger is one with the world. Physically and mentally fit, intuitively responding to the world from a place of personal power, majesty and greatness.
Master of their domain.
The monk is one with the world. Spiritually fit. Wisely responding to the world operating from a place of oneness, love and equanimity.
Master of body, mind and soul.
CONSIDER THIS
How can you be more like the tiger?
What areas of your life are meaningful enough to you that you want to master?
What does mastery in those domains look like?
How can you be more like the monk?
What thoughts, habits, behaviours and emotions would you like to cultivate and grow?
What thoughts, habits, behaviours and emotions would you like to let go off?
DID YOU LIVE WELL?
"Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful."
Margaret J. Wheatley
The end of year has a cultural significance and (though some of us might try to ignore it) it provides you with an opportunity.
An opportunity to acknowledge another year of your life has been lived.
PONDER THIS
Did you live this year well?
Did you live it as well as you could've?
How could of you lived it better?
The Genius of the Body
“As one can see most obviously in gifted athletes and performers, the body itself can be a source of knowledge — coordination, grace, agility, stamina, skill — both intuitive and learned. Indeed, there are a rare few who might be called Einsteins of the body — geniuses at inventing, expressing, and employing movement.”
Bill Hayes
Your body is full of wisdom, potential, power and love.
It can be realised and released by listening deeply and leading courageously.
TRY THIS
Take some time to be still and silent
Feel your body breathing
Allow the in breath to expand awareness through your body
As you breath out let go any tension and allow awareness to flow through you.
After 3 - 15 minutes of stillness invite movement into the practice.
Open to the possibility of being guided by the breath and the body (this may take some practice).
After 15 minutes of moving in this way move on with your day - with a gentle effort of staying embodied.
Tune into the Wisdom of your Body
"In order to change, people need to become aware of their sensations and the way that their bodies interact with the world around them. Physical self-awareness is the first step in releasing the tyranny of the past."
Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score
Our bodies are gateways to the present moment, vehicles that carry us through the world and containers that we often get lost in (they are also much more then words can convey).
Disconnection from our bodies, leaves us disconnected from the world, lost in thought and stuck in our heads.
Reconnecting to our bodies can be a therapeutic rest for the mind and nervous system, a way of opening more fully to our experience and shifting our perspective and a way of re-engaging with a wisdom and intuition that is largely ignored and trampled by the modern world.
TRY THIS
three ways to connect with your body
Workout - if you're feeling high energy or want to build more energy workout. Lift some weights, run, dance, jump, play - get into your body and notice what it's like to move in a vigorous challenging but safe way.
Mindful Movement - sometimes our bodies are tired and minds are wired. In moments like this engaging in low impact, low energy movements - like yin yoga, tai chi. or just gentle, slow, nurturing movements - can be a beautiful healing retreat from the noise of the mind.
Stillness / Listening - meditating on a still body can be surprisingly challenging and empowering. Simply sit with the experience of stillness and notice what comes up in the body and mind for 3 - 15 minutes.
Key of Yet
“I am always doing what I can't do yet in order to learn how to do it."
Vincent Van Gogh
the key is in your hands
You are an ever changing, ever growing being -
if you choose to be
You have infinite potential to grow into -
or to let go to waste.
The door of “I can’t” can keep you trapped
The key of “yet” can set you free.
PONDER THIS
What’s one thing you’re willing to be “bad” at until you get good?
YOU BECOME WHAT YOU PRACTICE
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day“.
Brené Brown
Authenticity is the practice of being true to yourself.
More than believing everything you think, being guided by emotions, acting upon every impulse, or “doing what you're supposed to do” - if authenticity is an ideal to strive for you must discover (or choose) who you want to be, what you will stay true too?
This orientation invites us beyond ourselves and into our potential.
Authenticity becomes a guiding light to move toward, a path to follow, something to aim at & stand for.
A way of opening to our emotions, impulses, thoughts & the world around us and choosing, purposefully, how to proceed.
Authenticity takes the curiosity and vulnerability to get to know yourself,
the courage and compassion to honour that which you know,
& the humility and willingness to grow beyond.
TRY THIS
Each day
*Spend some time (15 - 30 minutes) observing yourself.
Noticing your thoughts, feelings and sensations without reacting to them. Just being still allowing things to be as they are and noticing what it’s like, aka Meditation.
*Write down 1 - 3 values that are important to you and you would like to live by today.
*Be open to ways of practicing those values as the day unfolds.
If authenticity is important to you and you have a better way of honouring it, I would love to hear from you.
Please reply to this email with your thoughts.
WILL IS A SKILL
"Resistance is not a peripheral opponent. Resistance arises from within.
It is self-generated and self-perpetuated.
Resistance is the enemy within."
― from The War of Art. By Steven Pressfield
Right now as I sit and write this I sit with resistance.
The resistance is presenting as frustration and doubt.
The resistance is commenting on my poor planning, my lack of integrity, the uselessness of this work.
The resistance is working to convince me that it's too hard, not worth it, a waste of time, that I should do one of the other tasks on my list.
Thanks to Steven Pressfield for introducing me to "Resistance".
When we are able to give a name to the collection of excuses, thoughts, feelings and impulses that hold us back and get in the way of what we are called to do, it makes it easy to dis-identify with those parts of our experience so we can choose how to respond.
By recognising and naming "resistance" you get to acknowledge "I am more than my thoughts, feelings, impulses.", "I can lean into my experience and state of being without being controlled by it."
This subtle shift in perspective can transform your state and unlock your potential.
TRY THIS
Next time you don't feel like doing something that you really want to do write down or name all the excuses why you don't want to do it.
Then state 1 - 3 reason (the fewer the better) why you will.
Next do the thing and know you are more than that which try's to hold you back.
Bonus exercise - Thanks resistance.
Will is Skill. Resistance is the ground upon which the skill of will us cultivated.
KNOW YOUR ROLES
“And do thy duty, even it be humble, rather than another's, even if it be great. To die in ones duty is life, to live in another is death."
Bhagavad Gita
Many of us live full lives
But how many live fulfilling lives?
In a world full of hype it's easy to see what others are doing and feel that we are less than, that we are not doing enough or fulfilling our potential.
The truth is your potential will never be fulfilled, that's the beautiful thing about it, there's always room to grow.
But if you're too focused on what you're not doing,
you'll miss what you are doing
& spend your life being very busy chasing ghosts.
TRY THIS
A simple but profound shift you can make is to know your roles.
Recognise the roles you play in your life,
explore why they are meaningful to you,
choose how you want to play those roles &
practice playing them wholeheartedly.
The Art of Stillness
"Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance."
Morgan Freeman
Beyond the noise & the chaos,
Beyond the rush of life,
Beyond the impulse to go, go, go,
There is a stillness.
A sanctuary.
A place you can visit and be at peace.
A place from which you can be just as productive but not a product of "rushing or busyness.”
TRY THIS
SOUL Revival
This Saturday, 8th of June, you are invited to join us in for a session of stillness & rest.
Tickets here.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
― Mark Twain
Specifically, why are you here, in this space?
What drove you to be here?
What is it that you hope to get, give, feel, think, share, know or experience?
Why are you here?
Is it part of a bigger picture? A bigger vision? A bigger mission?
Is it feeding part of you want to grow?
Do you have values, purpose, priorities, people & projects, meaningful enough to you, that they'll guide you, even when you feel lost?
Knowing yourself deeply, honouring yourself courageously, growing yourself lovingly is not an easy path.
It's one that will often go against the grain of what you (& your culture) think is possible.
But it leads to flourishing, eudaimonia & inner peace.
And this might make the hard work worth it.
UNIQUITY
"It is better to strive in one's own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another.
Nothing is ever lost in following one's own dharma, but competition in another dharma breeds fear and insecurity."
Bhagavat Gita
UNIQUITY = Unique plus Unified
You are a unique individual.
You have a combination of strengths that are unique to you.
You have a way of looking at the world that is unique to you.
And whether you realise it or not you are unified & connected to the world around you.
You are part of the whole.
If you knew this to be true what would you do?
Life is Short, Live It Well
"In this short Life
That only lasts an hour
How much – how little – is
Within our power."
Emily Dickinson
Your time and energy are precious,
and they are running out.
The trick is not to chase them - they are already here.
The Way is Presence.
Tuning in & Choosing.
Your potency lies in knowing & focusing on what is meaningful to you & with in your control & letting the rest be.
The serenity prayer sums it up
"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
Ponder This
What's one thing you worry about that you can't control?
What's one thing you whinge about you can't (or won't) change?
Whats one thing that distracts you from what really matters?
What's could you use your imagination for that's better than worrying?
What could you use your words for that's better than whinging?
What could you focus on that's better than being distracted?
What would it feel like to make the shift?
"Don't Rush, Don't Wait"
"Don't just stand there, do something."
also
"Don't just do something, stand here (tune in & choose well)."
Act from a place of Alignment.