Welcome to the series on developing resilience.
We live in unprecedented times of unpredictability and isolation.
For some,
The stress is activating the adrenaline system and they find themselves getting wound up.
Anything that's continually wound up will reach a breaking point.
Over the next 15 days,
I will walk you through several practices that not only help you wind down,
But also make you feel good,
Calm and clear,
A state from which you can become more resilient with whatever life throws at you.
Resilience doesn't mean that you'll be happy all the time,
But it does mean you have the energy,
The mindset and the support from others to help you weather the storm.
Question one.
Attention is power.
Take in some deep,
Comfortable breaths.
Breathe into your belly,
Not your chest,
Allowing the abdomen to rise and fall.
A phenomenal ability of successful people is to consciously focus their attention.
One who can self-consciously focus attention has the power to rewire their brain.
Now focus your attention on a chosen object.
Pick any one,
Watch your breath,
Watch the rising and falling of your stomach.
Focus on your third eye,
On the bottom of your spine,
A mantra or something else.
Pick any one.
This is an easy way to quiet the mind.
When you give a tree to a monkey,
The monkey goes up and down until it is tired.
Then it finally rests.
Then that resting insight finally awakens.
Inevitably,
Your mind will wander as you do this.
And each time it wanders,
Gently bring it back to the object of your attention.
Like a butterfly that returns again and again to a flower.
In the freshness of the present moment,
The past is gone.
The future is not yet born.
And if one remains in pure mindfulness,
And freedom-disturbing thoughts arise and go without leaving a trace.
Control of attention is your ultimate power.
If you can do that,
You are not prisoners of the constant external stimuli.
You can choose from the patterns in the world and lengthen your time horizons.
This individual power leads to others like self-control and resisting impulses.
If forced to choose,
We would rather our children be poor with self-control than rich without it.
Notice if your mind is wandering.
If it is,
Gently bring it back to the object of concentration.
Like a butterfly that returns again and again to the flower.
In the freshness of the present moment,
The past is gone.
Notice how you are feeling right now.
In the tranquility of a quiet mind,
Ask yourself a question.
What do I love most about my life?
What do I love most about my life?
A simple strategy to create a better life is to invest a little more time today than usual on that which you love most in your life.
Thank you for joining me today.
I hope you will see you tomorrow for a session on letting go.
Until then,
Be well.
