Benefits of a Quiet Mind

The best way for me to clear the mind is to question our thinking.  If you have a thought about a situation that is making you feel uncomfortable, ask yourself if the thought is true and if the thought is absolutely true.  Go to thework.com to learn about inquiry from my teacher, Byron Katie.

I was sitting in the hospital cafeteria, and I happened to glance at the scenery outside the glass window.  From a short distance, I saw a tree.  It had no leaves, but it struck me as being beautiful and serene.  There were little birds sitting on the branches, and I thought..."what a lovely sight to behold."  I kept looking at this until I realized that at that moment, I was experiencing a quiet mind.

The benefits of a Quiet Mind are:

• you can remain calm even if there's a stressful situation
• you can be present in the moment
• you can enjoy the moment
• you can focus on the now
• your relationships will be healthier
• your communication will be clearer and authentic
• you can solve problems objectively
• you can be creative

No Matter Where You Are in Life

No matter where you are or no matter what stage you are at, life is teaching you something about life.

I have been unemployed for a long time...and it is a hard pill to swallow.  It seems like I have no identity unless I have a job.  But after a while, I realized that life was painting a different picture for me.  I used to wake up to the thought that my life was over...that I had nothing...that I was no good.  But having learned about mindfulness in the past, I started to reflect on the situation. There's no train to catch.  Now what?

After examining my thoughts and feelings surrounding the new life I was given, I started to notice things I didn't pay attention to when I was working.  When I was working, I was always rushing and worried about bills, deadlines, job performance, getting a raise, never having enough time for everything I thought I had to do and always afraid of what people would think of me if I made a mistake or if I failed in something.

But now, I have time to prepare breakfast mindfully and sit down at the table thinking only about what's in front of me.  I am learning something new...like being in school, in a different school.  I would go to the kitchen and I notice what a good kitchen it is.  I would look out and see the hustle and bustle outside the window.  I noticed that was good...no problem here.  While eating breakfast, I feel that the nourishment was preparing me for the day. Life is teaching me something precious, which I wouldn't have learned otherwise, if I had a 9 to 5 job.

This new school is teaching me that life is better, in a way, when you are mindful and not rushing so much, afraid of being late or failing.  I have at lot less money, but that's good because I am learning new and wonderful ways of spending and satisfying myself...making do with what I have.  Now, that's a different place from thinking you do not have enough.  There is no problem.  Only the truth to be learned.  I am happy with anticipation of creating a different reality for me that is sweet and dare I say...blessed.

Whatever life is teaching you at a particular moment or experience, don't take it forgranted.  Listen, observe, contemplate.  It's giving you the key that will unlock your potential and your happiness.

Creative Block

Every civilization comes up with a system, true and tried, that becomes the prescription for living.  So everybody just follows, thus, losing the creative drive.  If you want to fit in, you follow the way of society.

Here are some suggestions to unblock the creative:

--You can get ideas when you are observing, seeing, feeling the moment.  For example, today I was observing the rain drops outside the glass window.  I was waiting for the rain to stop, so I could leave the place.  I was just watching the rain.

--Making art is not about ability or talent or achievement.  It's about expression, reflection, discernment and use of the senses.

--If there's any purpose to art, it is to be in the moment and to connect with your inner world.

--What is the feeling, impression that you like about what is in front of you?...and then keep the answer with you to guide your art.

--Art is not about fitting in or what to do with your life.

--Look at other artworks to get inspired.

--Art is about authenticity.

--Art has to do with trusting your inner compass.

--Art or learning is about how you do it your way, rather than how others do it.

--Focus on working on a small area of the art and notice how much work gets into the creating of art.

--Don't rush!  It will take some time to arrive at your destination, but it will be worth the wait.

--Stop and reflect for 20 minutes.  Walk or look out the window or look at the sky or the rain.  Feel your inner compass and ask yourself if you are in the "right" direction, but don't ask if it is perfect.

--Change your vocabulary.  Do you like it?  Rather than thinking of achieving a masterpiece.


Art can be a learning process.  When I paint, I notice how the brush creates feelings and images, by accident or on purpose.  The color can express a certain idea or feeling.  Even the mistakes lead you to a new idea.  I feel that when I create, all of a sudden the canvass comes to life!  The bigger the challenge, the bigger the value of what you learn from hurdling it.

Your Inner Compass

It's good to check your inner compass every now and then.  Take 20 to 60 minutes or just a few minutes in the day to stop and reflect.  Ask yourself if you are where you want to be.  Are you going in the right direction?  How do you feel in the moment?  Is there one small step you can take on your journey to your destination?  Just wait quietly for the answer.  Trust your compass.  It will guide you.

It was raining that day that I thought of this.  I stopped and observed the raindrops outside the glass window.  I noticed how the droplets would fall on the ground and splash on the cars.  It was a very Buddhist moment.  If you can create moments like these, you will be able to meditate on your inner compass and get to where you would like to be.

Namaste.

Conditioning the Mind

The following definition is from Encyclopaedia Britannica:

conditioning, in physiology, a behavioral process whereby a response becomes more frequent or more predictable in a given environment as a result of reinforcement, with reinforcement typically being a stimulus or reward for a desired response. Early in the 20th century, through the study of reflexes, physiologists in Russia, England, and the United States developed the procedures, observations, and definitions of conditioning. After the 1920s, psychologists turned their research to the nature and prerequisites of conditioning. 
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/131552/conditioning

We all, I think, would want to change the way we behave at different stages of our lives.  Conditioning is a true and tried process, whereby you teach your brain to be or do whatever or however you want to change.  To begin the process, pick a goal.  This goal could be any goal, but a general one.  A good one to start with is:  to think positive.  This is a good goal to have, because then you can elevate your mood, or you can "feel good," or you can be more successful at work or school, etc.

The way to condition your mind can consist of the following steps:

1/  Make a list of things or experiences that make you happy; that are pleasant experiences.  For example:
        -Things that you love or that delight you, such as your favorite silk scarf, your favorite house clothes, or a wool scarf that keeps you so warm in the cold air, or a puppy, etc. 
        -Successful experiences...small ones, like when you finally perfected a recipe, or when you were able to find the perfect outfit, or when you heard beautiful poetry, or when you figured out how your fancy camera works, or when you so much enjoyed a sitting and sipping coffee at the corner cafe, or when you just had a pleasant conversation, etc.

2/  Every morning or whenever you have a moment of quiet time, even for only 10 minutes each time throughout the day...do this:  In your mind, visualize the favorite thing or successful experience on your list.  Hold the image in your head and notice how good it makes you feel.  Feel the warmth in your body as the energy travels from your feet all the way up to your cheeks.  Enjoy the movie in your head for as long as you can.  Do this regularly and daily.

3/  During your conditioning exercise, notice the happy image in your head, and then start doing affirmations.  For example:  That's so great!   I'm so lucky!     I'm so happy!

4/  You can also do conditioning when you are stressed out, frustrated or in a bad mood.  Stop for a few minutes and do the visualization and affirmations together.

This process really works and can boost your energy.  It worked for Pavlov's dog.  It has been proven scientifically.  So why shouldn't it work for us humans.  Conditioning the brain is so easy to do and so effective, it will change your life for the better.  It will open up your life, and you'll just know what to do to make your life even better and better.

The key is repitition!

Namaste.

The Pain of Achieving

If you are not happy with how life is treating you, I have one suggestion.

Find something that you can do or have as a means to explore.  Think of playing or experimenting, instead of achieving.  Look at it as discovery instead of achievement.  Wanting so much to achieve can be painful, if you are not in the right frame of mind.  But when you do something for the love of it or simply to see what happens when you do this or do that, you get a different feeling.  It's just easier and you feel overjoyed by what you discover or what you learn about your work or life in general.  Life can change for the better just because you tweaked your mind to think in a different way.

Take art, for example.  With this new mind, I don't get stuck when I want to create a painting.  Without the pressure to achieve a masterpiece, painting is no longer painful.  I just sketch a little bit and then wait until something creative happens.  The canvass comes to life all of a sudden, because I'm trying out how this color works or how the way I hold the brush works...just having fun with experimenting.  An impression of something starts to build.  I stop and look at it from a small distance and ideas start to flow.  This time, I ask myself what I like about it...not if it's perfect.  So many things I can do now with the creative process.  What a relief.

This mental freedom requires psychological conditioning, but it's so worth it because, like I said, the door to your imagination opens up.