Spiritual Development for Smart People
A son asked his mother, “why do you sit in silence alone?”
The mother said:
“Son, I’m not alone. I sit with a breath. You see, the breath is never hungry. It’s never sad. It’s never mad. It’s void of feeling, thereby making it void of suffering. It doesn’t need anything, nor does it want anything, yet it encapsulates everything.
Continue reading “#93 The Breath”
Suffering is a part of life. You can’t avoid it. Obstacles will present themselves at some point. Much of the suffering we encounter when it comes to those that we love, is due to miscommunication.
Continue reading “#92 Four Mantras to Radically Heal Your Relationships”
“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practiced every day.” — Jim Rohn
I have been running an experiment on myself where I have been following a set of rituals or daily disciplines for the past few weeks. I was inspired by many of the successful people I admire.
A common trait that all of them embody is they have a set of morning rituals that they stand by. These are MUST DO TASKS they abide by because it puts them in peak mental, emotional, and physical state. This allows them to tackle obstacles, harness creativity, and remain present.
Conditioning our mind every day to be at its peak takes preparation. My morning routine starts the night before.
Every day we are given 86,400 seconds. What we focus on invariably makes our life. We only have so much space and energy to devote things too. I’ve chosen to be hyper-vigilant of where I use this energy because it’s precious.
Continue reading “#91 – Morning Routine: Priming The Mind with Rituals, Supplementation, and Making Each and Everyday Count”
We were in the Art District of Old Town Scottsdale. It was hot, but not unusual for Arizona in the slightest. The dry heat blanketed us like a transparent shawl and the subtle wind kept us cool momentarily while we stopped by a few galleries. Each one had a theme and a personality.
Whether it was a sculpture, painting, or photograph, each piece of art left a piece of its soul on the canvas it chose to imprint on. Art has the uncanny ability to allow us to escape and enjoy the beauty as it was meant to be enjoyed. No words, no thoughts, and no other action needed except to pay attention.
Continue reading “#90 – Mineral Spirits”
The Ego.
It’s sensitive, invisible, and invites itself without notice.
It’s a derivative of our personality that seeks self-importance.
In other words, the ego wants acknowledgment.
It’s a puppy that does tricks and expects a reward. Everyone has this puppy.
When I acknowledge others, wanting acknowledgment, all that really means is that their puppy needs more training.
Continue reading “#89 Curb Your Ego”
Ancient Aboriginals have a rich culture centered around family, nature and tradition.
In Tasmania, Aboriginal warriors would often paint their faces.
A painted line on the forehead represents the self. Lines on each cheek represent the knowledge one attains in life. The portion where the cheeks meet the nose is intentionally left blank.
The blank area represents the knowledge one has yet to attain in this life.
A researcher and Psychologist from the National Institute of Aging noted that personality traits change little after the age of 30. In short, people are set in their ways, and change of any kind is limited.
Continue reading “#88 Endless River”
Do you remember when you first started to walk?
Neither do I.
However, it was a pivotal moment in all our lives.
Babies learn to walk anywhere from 9 to 18 months.
When they first transition from crawling to standing up, the average infant falls about 17 times an hour when they’re awake.
In the 1800’s, New Orleans was the epicenter of the African slave trade. It became the largest exporter of cotton in the American South.
Although these brave African souls faced bigotry, trepidation and turmoil, they had something that many resort to during times of strife.
Music.
Continue reading “#86 Creation from Chaos”
I played a lot of basketball growing up.
Many will agree, it’s the greatest sport ever created.
Thank you, Mr. Naismith.
Although I played on my high school team and in various tournaments, it was streetball that separated the men from the boys.
Continue reading “#85 Ball Don’t Lie”