The Power of Be Still
Discipline #4 is Be Still: Sit in Silence for 30 Minutes Everyday. One of the ways we recommend you spend that time is through meditation (prayer, journaling, and contemplation are the others). These practices are integral to our journey of freeing our True Selves and achieving entrepreneurial freedom with inner peace.
Understanding Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation is a powerful tool in your toolbox and requires balance, which can include loving-kindness, patience, insight, dignity, and integrity. In life you use this tool as a practice that brings insight and perspective, helping you to act skillfully.
Many people have trouble sitting down to meditate and when they do, have trouble sitting in silence. As I like to say, “what’s up with that?” What I mean by that is, what’s the deeper meaning? What are you subconsciously afraid will come up?
It reminds me of a favorite quote of mine by Anne Lamott, “My mind is like a bad neighborhood, I try never to go there alone.” This quote beautifully captures the essence of why many have a hard time with meditation.
The Importance of 10-Year Thinking
Our meditation practice cultivates awareness and with awareness, we have better clarity on Discipline #1, 10-Year Thinking: Shift Your Mindset From Short-Term Thinking to Thinking In 10 Year Timeframes. Using mindfulness with insight and perspective will guide you in your daily actions, aligning them with how you see your life in 10 years. For example, if you want a loving relationship with your spouse in 10 years, the way you treat them today matters. Similarly, if you aim to be fit and healthy in a decade, making mindful choices today, like avoiding that extra piece of cake, will set the foundation for your future health.
Embracing Stillness
In meditation, the goal is not to clear your mind of thoughts but to observe them without attachment. Picture your thoughts as clouds passing by in the sky. When you notice your mind wandering, gently bring your attention back to your breath or a mantra, which serves as an anchor.
Focusing on your breath helps to direct your 10,000 thoughts into one focus. While meditating, you may also notice sensations in your body. These sensations are your body’s way of communicating now that you are quiet and settled. Emotions stored in the body may surface. When they do, breathe into the area where you feel the sensation. It may go away, or it may not. Often, when it does, you have shed a layer, moving closer to your True Self.
Journaling Prompts:
Reflect on how mindfulness can bring balance and insight into your daily life. What aspects of mindfulness do you find most challenging, and how can you incorporate more loving-kindness and patience into your practice?
How do you want your life to look in 10 years? How can mindfulness help you make choices today that support this 10-year thinking vision? What small actions can you take now to ensure you achieve this?
Reflect on your experience with being still. What sensations or emotions arise during your practice? How can you use your breath to navigate these experiences and shed layers?
As you incorporate these practices into your life, remember that the journey of self-discovery and inner peace is ongoing. Each layer you shed brings you closer to your True Self and a life of greater clarity and fulfillment.
“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Our next Group Coaching Program starts on September 16th. During our 10-session program, you will learn to deepen your understanding of yourself and, with that knowledge, how to protect your boundaries to free your True Self and ultimately Shine.
I encourage you to take our True Self Assessment to learn how strong your foundation is.
