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Honesty and Acceptance…
By Ben | July 3, 2008
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I have to be honest with you.
Due (at least partially) to chaotic conditions in my life recently, I have had a very sporadic practice of formal meditation. By ‘formal meditation’, I mean a specific exercise that I do for a given amount of time (usually sitting meditation). I am still good at bringing acceptance and awareness into the ordinary activities of my life, but formal practice has been a bit hit and miss lately.
Ideally, I like to do a deep level programming exercise (I use the Silva Method, click here for more information), a mindfulness meditation, and listen to an induction or brainwave track as I go to sleep everyday.
Recently, I haven’t been consistent with any of them, but this is the standard I am working my way back to.
One good thing my waning level of practice has shown, is that there has been a dramatic increase in my level of acceptance. In the past, I would have been shit-talking myself up and down for falling out of my practice. “What a loser!”, “I can’t believe I just gave up!”, and “This sucks!”, are the kind of phrases that would have filled my head in the past. Now when I think about it, I know it is only a matter of time before I have my regular practice back… and then take it to the next level.
Falling out of your routine is okay!
In fact, it occasionally gives you the perspective to see what you would like your routine (your life) to become!
This kind of self-acceptance can be very challenging to develop, but fortunately, it doesn’t take any formal practice (formal practice can help, though).
Any time you feel a little ‘off your game’, or like you didn’t get everything done that you should have… accept yourself… allow yourself to relax around the awareness of the challenge. When you are ready, take it a step further: love yourself. Love the imperfect person that you are. When you are ready to take it one more step, begin to love the perfection flowing beneath all the actions, habits, etc. that you consider ’shortcomings’.
This is a deep level of acceptance and awareness. When you achieve it in a moment, you can begin to take it into the rest of your life!
As an additional tip, anytime you begin to examine something you’ve done in the past (particularly things you would label as “bad” or “embarrassing”), resolve to notice at least one good thing about the situation, and learn to notice this first! If you can’t think of anything good, imagine you are your own young child (daughter or son as appropriate)… what could you say positive about your child if they were in the same situation? Once you are committed to accepting and appreciating yourself and your actions, you can look for ways to further improve.
From time to time, we all ‘fall off the wagon’… we all get a bit off-track from our exercise routine, our job routine, or the practice of whatever skill it is we would like to develop. This can be a good thing if you can learn to perceive it appropriately… in fact
‘Falling off the wagon’ just gives you a chance to refocus!
keep smiling,
ben
P.S. if you haven’t given me your input on the New Peaceful Prosperity Coaching program, yet, then check out Questions for the new Coaching program… and tell me what you think!
Topics: Experiences, -Mysticism, Change Your Neurology - Extreme, -Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Change Your Neurology - Mundane |
