“True meditation is the fixing of the whole memory process at the present moment.”
Swami Vivekananda.
Remember to be here.
Do you know what it feels like to be elsewhere?
TRY THIS
You Become What You Practice
“I will form good habits and become there slave.”
OG Mandino
A habit is something you do so consistently, even when you don’t feel like it, that it becomes part of you.
Habits of thought shape your mind
Habits of behaviour shape your body
Habits of work shape your career
Habits of communication shape your relationships
Habits of inspiration shape your soul
CONSIDER THIS:
What’s one area of life that’s important to you?
What’s one thing you’re doing consistently that’s holding you back or keeping you stuck in that particular domain of life (bad habit)?
What’s one thing you could do consistently that would improve that area in your life (good habit)?
When will you switch the bad habit for the good?
Be More Than You Are
"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
Your capacity to focus
To fully engage in the task at hand
Is a pathway to being more than who you are. A way of moving beyond self limited beliefs and the limits of a self conscious perspective and into a fuller circle of potential. This is why meditation is often called a path of transcendence.
When the task at hand is simply being and noticing your experience
You get exposed to who you think you are and to the reality that you are much more. This realization can be profoundly freeing and impact how you relate to yourself and the world. It can allow you the space to be less reactive and stuck in old patterns and more of who you want.
The jump between practice and positive change isn't immediate or guaranteed but if you're able to take lessons, insights and wisdom from your practice it will be a life long teacher.
This is why I'm launching the Art of Being Yourself.
A course using mind/body techniques to reduce stress and reactivity and increase personal power & inner peace.
In 8 weeks you will be less stressed, more inspired and have the tools to be at your best more often.
If you’re ready to be more than who you are email billy@thetigerandthemonk.com
Change Your Mind Change Your World
"When the mind changes just a little, The world quickly becomes different, too. Is this not true?"
Hung Ying-ming
When your mind changes, your world changes.
3 ways to change your mind
Get into your body -a workout, a yoga class, a walk in nature, dancing, swimming, running - getting into your body is a great way to change your state, change your perspective and change your mind
Meditate - spend 3 - 15 minutes focusing on your breath - this can have an immediate impact and if practice consistently lead to lasting change.
Listen - listen to understand, listen with your whole being, listen with curiosity, listen not just to your own thoughts about what’s being shared but listen to other points of view and ideas.
FLOW INTO GREATNESS
"Flow helps to integrate the self because in that state of deep concentration consciousness is unusually well ordered. Thoughts, intentions, feelings, and all the senses are focused on the same goal. Experience is in harmony. And when the flow episode is over, one feels more “together” than before, not only internally but also with respect to other people and to the world in general."
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow:
Greatness is achieved by surrendering to something bigger than you.
By letting doubt, distraction and excuses fall into the back ground and bringing the task at hand into the foreground.
CONSIDER THIS
What will you focus on today?
If you’re interested in harnessing the power of your mind you might try this simple meditation.
WHAT MATTERS TO YOU???
"One of the reasons champions succeed is because they tune out what doesn’t matter and lock in on what does."
Michael Gervais
You either choose your priorities (what you will aim your time an energy at)
Or life will choose them for you
Your best self is likely to be more meaningful if it rocks up in areas of your life that are important to you
CONSIDER THIS
What are your priorities?
What are the areas of your life where it's important that you're at your best?
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BEST SELF
"Awakening to the truth is a deep realisation of what you are as an experience."
Feel it. Sense it. Welcome it."
Adyashanti
The best version of you exists
You might be familiar with that version or it may exist only in your imagination.
It may exist in reality or only in potential
But it exists
This is an invitation to get to know it more deeply
PONDER THIS
What do you notice when you're at your best?
What is your experience when you're performing at your best?
What do you notice when having a peak experience?
THE POWER OF PURPOSE
"When we choose a goal and invest ourselves in it to the limits of our concentration, whatever we do will be enjoyable."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow
We are more powerful when we have a goal, a sense of purpose.
A worthy challenge that harnesses our focus, energy, attention and drive.
This can be a long term project or an act of everyday excellence.
CONSIDER THIS
What will you focus on this week?
Is it part of longer term goal or simply an expression of everyday excellence?
How will you prepare yourself and your environment for the task?
What will you do to recover so you can refocus on whatever's next?
ARE THOUGHTS EMPOWERING OR BS?
"Whether you think you can or think you can't - you're right".
Henry Ford
This is a very powerful thought & it's also B.S.
If it empowers you it's powerful if not then it's B.S. Thoughts, positive or negative, only have power if you let them.
How you respond to thoughts and your opportunities is what defines your wellbeing, health and levels of success.
It might be empowering to do so from a place of confidence and belief
But it might be just as empowering to overcome doubt & excuses.
The truth is you get to choose only when you go beyond thinking and into reality.
Otherwise you thoughts can keep you in fantasy land
TRY THIS
MEDITATE ON THE HEART
- Set a timer for 6 - 21 minutes and tune into the physical sensations of breathing in the rib cage. Allow your thoughts to rise up and float away. Stay connected to your breath and the beating of your heart. If you get drawn into a thought or distracted redirect your attention to the sensations of breathing and the heart beating.
DO SOMETHING PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING
- choose a safe but challenging workout that is going to take you to the edge of your comfort zone. Hear all the voices in your head as the workout unfolds but focus on the task at hand.
DO WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO.
- set intentions at the start of each day and bring them into existence. At the end of the day reflect did you do what you set out to? If not what thoughts stopped you (what thoughts took you of path)? If so what thoughts didn't stop you (what were you thinking just before doing the thing?)
If you do this consistently you will begin to realise you're more than your thoughts
AMPLIFY GRATITUDE
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
John F Kennedy
If you count your blessings consistently
You'll realise you're blessed.
Once you realised your blessed you feel fulfilled and whole And start to live from a place of appreciation and purpose.
Your drive comes not to fill a void or finally be worthy
but to share your gifts, honour your greatness and celebrate life.
TRY THIS
30 Days of Gratitude
*Everyday for the next 30 write down 1 - 3 things you're grateful for
*spend at least 90 seconds exploring what feeling come up with each of the things on the list.
*consider one small thing you can do to honour that which you have to be grateful for.
5 Questions on Harmony
"Thoughts, intentions, feelings, and all the senses are focused on the same goal.
Experience is in harmony."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow
How many harmonious moments do you experience each day?
How often is your body, mind and soul aligned with the task at hand?
How often do you practice deep, engaged focused work or play or learning or teaching or living?
What might life be like if you were to have more of these moments?
What will you devote yourself to today?
ENERGY FLOWS WHERE ATTENTION GOES
“If you learn how to withdraw your attention from all objects of distraction and to place it upon one object of concentration, you too will know how to attract at will whatever you need.”
Paramahansa Yogananda,.
The Law of Success:
Using the Power of Spirit to Create Health, Prosperity, and Happiness
What you focus on (with your thoughts, words & actions)
Shapes your experience.
When you focus on your intentions You are more likely to notice opportunities that you would otherwise miss.
When you focus on your priorities You're more likely to be fulfilled
When you focus on the path Your goals will come to you When you focus on you blessings You will realise you're blessed.
TRY THIS
*Count your Blessings - think of 3 things you’re grateful for.
*Choose that to focus on - set your daily intentions
*Notice when you're distracted - REFCOCUS or REST
FOCUS LEADS FLOW
"Anything great you ever want to do requires focus.
That applies to the gym, your vision, and your relationships." Arnold Schwarzenegger
What will you aim at this week?
What you focus on grows.
And with so many choices, focus takes commitment
& the will & skill to navigate distractions (& temptations)
& refocusing when attention wanders
& staying focused in the face of boredom and fatigue
& taking enough rest you have the ability to focus at a high level.
PONDER THIS
What will you focus on this week?
WHO ARE YOU BECOMING
"Coursing through every civilization are the myths that shape what its people come to believe about reality and possibility.
Some of them are healing and some damaging.
Some are easy to recognize for what they are.
But some are more subtle, more pernicious, permeating the substratum of culture and the marrow of the psyche."
MARIA POPOVA
Beyond what's expected of you
Beyond what's advertised to you
Beyond your conditioning
Beyond your self limiting (& self aggrandized) beliefs
Beyond who you think you are and the excuses that keep you stuck
Is a vast sea of potential, a uniquely gifted human being, an opportunity to make a strong choice, the right choice, time and time again until you become someone you're proud of.
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?
