Gratitude Practice 3
Fragments from imaginary dialogues
“What is the highest end of the Gratitude practice?”
“Taking NOTHING for granted.
This is a practice in itself.
By default, we tend to take everything for granted. To counter this tendency, it takes deliberate directing of the attention, by constantly asking yourself:
What am I taking for granted?
As they come into your Awareness, savor their simple Beauty, and express Loving Gratitude for all these Gifts.”
The Art of Perception 6
Fragments from imaginary dialogues
“When you look up what do you see?”
“I see the sky.
What do you see?”
“I see the Cosmic Ocean.
Make it a habit to always cast your Mind’s Eye past the observable horizon, my dear, into the vast Universe of Possibility.”
Beautiful Models: High-Density Experiences
Train to live on the other side of pain. (Josh Waitzkin)
Fragments from imaginary dialogues
“I had a beautiful experience watching a mosquito drink my blood. I’d never seen it happen.”
“Wasn’t it painful?”
“An essential aspect of my training is exposing myself to discomfort and pain. That’s what it started as, but ended up as a contemplation on the beautiful miracle that is Life.
This is what I call a high-density [<link; short length] experience. It lasted but a few moments, but it felt like so much happened in that brief time-span. I often get the same feeling during my 5-minute meditation sessions.”
On keeping impulses in check
Fragments from imaginary dialogues
“How can I keep this impulse in check?”
“First of all, create space [<link; medium length] for reflection by temporarily distancing yourself from the situation. Ideally, physically change location, or go for a walk.
Secondly, ask the meta-question:
Can I ask a better question?
The question you ask influences the kinds of answers you explore.
Compare:
How can I keep this impulse in check?
How can I make keeping this impulse in check EFFORTLESS?
The two questions take you on very different paths.”
“How can I make it effortless?”
“Remember WHY you want to keep it in check.
If you have a compelling enough reason, you have your answer.
If don’t have a compelling reason, CREATE ONE. This means gaining clarity on who you want to be and what you want from life, and creating a deeply compelling vision for your life, one that will serve as your guide and as backdrop for your every action.”
The Challenge Principle
Fragments from imaginary dialogues
“I can’t meditate. My mind is racing / I’m feeling x.”
“That’s the BEST time to meditate.
Remember the ultimate goal of the practice.”
“Achieving Stillness under ANY conditions.“
“Keep that in mind always, and treasure any opportunity to practice it.”
Joy Of Missing Out
Fragments from imaginary dialogues
“How can I get rid of the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO)?”
“Ask yourself:
What 20 percent of things in your life are responsible for 80 percent of your success and happiness?
Focus exclusively on those, and design your life around them.
Time is limited.
Everything you do has an opportunity cost.
Everything you do from the 80 category steals precious time away from the 20 category.
Keep that in mind always as you replace FOMO with JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out).“
The Scope of Meditation
Fragments from imaginary dialogues
“What is the ultimate scope of Meditation?”
“It’s important to realize that Meditation is a means to an end, not the end itself.
When you want to learn a skill, a good strategy is to identify the essential subs-kills, and train each of them individually [Deconstruction, Isolation, 80/20], with the scope of eventually putting them back together [Integration].
Meditation is Attention training.
Attention (along with Meaning) dictates the quality of your experience.”
“If Meditation represents a sub-skill, what is the skill?”
“Experiencing life FULLY.
We might call this Experiential-Depth, or Aliveness.”
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