Meditation and mindfulness are all the rage these days. Though they have been around for several thousands of years, they have enjoyed a new level of popularity. Even the scientific world is getting involved. A quick search on YouTube will demonstrate just how interested the world is in these topics.
While meditation accomplishes many things, we’re interested in self-confidence.
Meditation focuses the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to train attention and awareness and achieve a mentally clear, emotionally calm, and stable state.
“When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes – I already have everything that I really need.” – Dalai Lama
Follow these tips to incorporate a daily meditation practice into your life:
- Create a daily schedule you can keep. It’s much better to meditate each day for a few minutes than to meditate for more extended periods of time a couple of times a week. Be realistic. Ideally, you can set aside at least 20 minutes a day.
- Avoid the mistake of failing to schedule your meditation time. If you wait until you have time, you’ll never do it.
- Find a comfortable spot. You don’t need much. Any quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed will work just fine. A firm chair or a seated position on the floor will work. Lying down can even work, provided you can stay awake!
- Start small. It’s more challenging to sit with yourself for 20 minutes than you think, and five to ten minutes is a good start.
- Meditation is a relationship with yourself. So, be nice to yourself, and it’s about self-acceptance and compassion for yourself.
- Focus on your breathing. Feel the air moving in and out of your body. Feel the sensation of the air moving past the edges of your nostrils.
- Continue until your mind wanders. You probably won’t even catch yourself the first several times your mind drifts away. All of a sudden, you’ll realise that you’ve been thinking about people at work, meetings, deadlines, or your plans for the weekend.
- When your mind wanders, let those thoughts go. Think of thoughts as clouds blowing by. You don’t have to pay attention to them or be affected by them. Just allow them to pass through your attention and return your attention to your breath.
- Your mind will wander a lot at first, and you might not even be able to last 30 seconds before your mind is off to another place. That’s ok, and keep going. You’ll get much better with practice.
Meditation will show you that your mind creates thoughts. These thoughts lead to feelings and beliefs.
You’ll also learn that you don’t have to be affected by them. Being upset by your thoughts is a little like punching yourself in the face and unclenching that fist by allowing your thoughts to pass on through.
Most people spend so much time “thinking” and being influenced by their thoughts; they have a weak grasp of reality. The world is going on around you, not inside your head. You’ll have a more honest perspective of yourself, the world, and those around you if you can quiet your mind.
You’ll quickly learn to avoid being bothered by your thoughts. They’ll move along on their own, provided you don’t engage with them.
This is crucial to contentment. When your peripheral thoughts are not energising you, you’ll experience real peace. When something negative happens, the event isn’t the real issue. It’s all the thoughts that run through your head.
Learn to deal effectively with your thoughts, and you can quickly push past any self-doubts that keep you from accepting yourself and finding contentment.
“Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.” – Lao Tzu
Next Steps
I’ve created an easy, effective, powerful system that anyone suffering from a lack of confidence, motivation or resilience could immediately apply and benefit from when they work with me. I help people rediscover their identity to feel physically robust and better equipped mentally; ultimately, they feel in better control of their lives.
Don’t hesitate to contact me directly for more information about how this can work for you. Email enquiries@mikelawrence.co.uk or call 07967 052585.