I want to help you not just survive, but THRIVE in these crazy times. Yes, it is an uncertain time and there are things that we won’t be able to control – but it doesn’t have to be an obstacle, it can be an opportunity.
For 7 weeks I am going to send you a daily dose of inspiration, because if we set our compass right, we can sail through this!
“Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so” – Shakespeare
Tip # 4: Try Meditation/Mindfulness
From Shakespeare to stoic philosophers to neuroscientists, the same message keeps being repeated: our happiness has much less to do with what is happening to us, and much more to do with how we think about it. A mindfulness or meditation practice can help us separate ourselves from our thoughts, so that we can have more choice about which ones we focus on.
Meditation, contrary to popular belief, is not clearing the mind. It is about detaching from our thoughts so that we see that we and our thoughts are separate things. It’s not about denying or squashing negative thoughts and only having positive ones. Mediation helps us develop the skill of being aware of what we are thinking and the power to decide if we will rest our focus on a thought or choose to let it pass through us.
What we think about things that are happening and the stories we make up about them have a huge impact on our emotional state – and wonderfully they are inside of our control.
Guided meditations can be a great place to start – especially now, when the number of online options are immense! Check out some links below. I hope this helps you see your world right now with greater optimism, appreciation and motivation.
Recommended Listening:
- Oprah Winfrey & Deepak Chopra 21-Day Meditation Experience
- Insight timer guided meditation app (free)
- Headspace app (subscription)
- Mindfulness in the time of Coronavirus (mark Williams, one of the modern founders of the mindfulness movement)
