Wow! This is my 100th post!
I didn’t think this would ever go this far. I started this blog about meditation… and it gradually expanded to discuss all the different exercises and methodologies I’ve encountered for creating powerful mind-body change and experiencing more satisfaction in life. This blog is just over 1 year old…
For all of you who keep reading and commenting…
Thank you very much!!!
I wouldn’t keep doing this without interested readers finding my blog useful.
Now, in the interest of utility, I’ll share some more useful ideas/practices for personal growth:
You can always reach farther… You can always dig deeper!
This isn’t a requirement… it’s a labor of love… we tend to frequently do the things we like to do, more and more and more.
What specifically should we reach farther on (or dig deeper into)?
There are a near infinite number of different areas that can be focused on to create growth and change… but if I had to go with just 3, it would be the following 3: Awareness, Acceptance, and Joy! These are the 3 principles for unlimited growth and happiness!
- Awareness: Are you paying attention? What are you paying attention to? Begin to notice where your focus is at all times… learn to focus broadly (every day, in every way, I’m getting better, better, and better), and specifically (what exactly am I doing today to help me get an ‘A’ in my Accounting class)… focus on the positive – the more you pay attention to something, the more you find it coming up more and more in your life (unlimited growth)… but also be aware of the negative – before you change things, you have to know where they stand currently
- Acceptance: How much will you allow? How much can you take? How often do you allow yourself to just completely relax mentally and physically? Learning to Accept conditions as they are not only allows you to experience more joy… it also allows you to transform conditions much more easily… Carl Jung stated “That which you resist, persists”… when you become truly accepting of the experiences you encounter… they will begin to transform on their own!
- Joy: How much do you love your life? How often do you choose to remember how much you love your life? Joy (Bliss, deep satisfaction, happiness, etc.) can be the natural result of Awareness and Acceptance, but it is useful to also recognize that being joyful makes the process of cultivating Awareness and Acceptance much easier…
You can begin to bring these 3 principles into all areas of your life!
When you set your goals, more awareness will allow you to be much more specific… acceptance will allow you to be much more honest with yourself about where you are now, and how far you have come… and joy will make the process of setting goals and achieving them that much easier as well as much more satisfying.
You can bring these 3 principles into a daily meditation as well. In Vipassana traditions (also called ‘mindfulness’ or ‘insight’), Metta (usually translated as loving kindness) meditations are very popular. You are still working on awareness and acceptance (or mindfulness and equanimity if you like), which are the core of the Vipassana tradition, but you are also cultivating your joy and sending it to others at the same time! As you develop more and more loving acceptance for yourself, you will be able to offer more loving acceptance to all you encounter… you will gradually
Become a powerful gift to all those you meet!
You can start right now. Do The Secret Smile Meditation, and once you are smiling deeply and powerfully… just focus in on all the sensations in your body… and allow them to be or change, as they will. Learn to enjoy this focusing and allowing!
The more you practice this meditation, the more you will experience miraculous growth and happiness throughout your life!
keep smiling,
ben
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