You Don’t Have To Be A Monk (or sell your Ferrari) To Reap The Benefits Of Mindfulness
It takes a simple practice you can start with today
Hello friend! 👋
Happy February and welcome to this week’s Super Sunday!
This week we step away from the striving and goal-setting to a more powerful concept of living, through which goals and outcomes are achieved.
The paradox is fascinating; the highest outcomes are achieved by letting go of the outcome.
Why?
Because you focus your energy on what matters most, which is the input without which an outcome is impossible.
Let’s unpack that further.
Before we start; have you joined my 30-day writing journey? I am writing a daily atomic essay on similar topics we discuss here as well as trying to write about new ideas too. You can check it out by following me on Twitter or LinkedIn
⏱️ Each Moment Is All We Have
Humans have studied time for thousands of years.
Time is the fourth dimension. It is the ultimate currency - we use time to build our health, our relationships, our goals. We trade time for money, for joy, for thinking.
Science tells us time is made of moments of 2-3 seconds.
All we have are these moments. These moments in the present. The past is made of all the moments that passed and went by, and the future is made of all the moments that are yet to come. In fact, we contextualize the past and the future in the now - without the present moment neither the present, past or future exist.
Therefore, no matter what outcome we want in the future, or legacy we want to leave behind in the past, the only doorway is through the present moment.
♾️ It Is Too Short Yet Infinite
It sounds depressing to think that all we have is a moment that is so short, elusive, and temporary.
But only if you live FOR the moment, not IN the moment.
Physical moment is short, psychological moment is infinite.
You see, the moment is short enough to allow you to be whoever you aspire to be. In each moment you are able to be as healthy, as supportive, as loving, as kind, as strong, as courageous as you can in that moment.
That’s an infinite potential of possibilities.
We have a chance to act with the attitudes that we want to live by, learn, and teach.
And while a moment is very short, it is inevitably followed by another moment.
And another… And another.
↔️ Each Moment Offers A Choice
Science tells us the most important aspect of wellbeing is having a choice; that sense of autonomy.
If you are mindfully living moment-to-moment, you can unlock this freedom. Viktor Frankl talked about this being the one freedom no one can ever take away from humans.
The freedom to choose, instead of being on auto-pilot and feeling helpless.
Isn’t that what anxiety actually is?
The sense of helplessness and lack of control all fades in the realization of the moment-to-moment phenomenon. Each passing moment can carry with it all your worry, old beliefs, resistance, and limitations. Each new moment is a new chance at choosing a more empowered attitude for hope, growth, compassion, and confidence.
Just this moment.
And the next… And the next…
So three ways you can bring mindfulness to your everyday life starting today
Mindful walking: every step is an opportunity to intentionally be present
Mindful listening: every conversation is an opportunity to be active
Mindful sitting: a meditation practice is like a gym for the mind, prioritize it.
Have fun with these, and if you’re interested in learning more I will be hosting an “Introduction To Mindfulness” online session, sharing what I’ve learnt and continue to learn as a mindfulness teacher.
Thought of offering it to you on email before anywhere else, since you’re one of my first supporters. 🙏
And yes it will be for free.
Hit me up in the comment section or just reply to the email.
With much joy,
Have a Super Sunday! 💪
Hashim
I love this- So excited to attend the online session!
Beautifully said! One thing I always struggle with is mindful sitting.
Need to get with it !