Buddha was right: relax your mind - become more efficient

Eastern philosophies and meditation are increasingly merging with popular culture. Nowadays, many Eastern practices are harmoniously combined with modern studies of mental activity. Do you doubt? The word is to Feisal Hawk, who will use examples to tell how, by slowing down, one can become more efficient .

“The human mind remains the greatest mystery for both psychologists and philosophers” - Bhante Wimala.
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A few decades ago, the term “self-awareness” (mindfulness) was used only within the framework of Eastern mysticism associated with the spiritual journey of man, described by Gautama Buddha himself. Buddhists believe that to be happy , peaceful and prosperous is possible only by practicing a “self-conscious” way of life.

Moral self-improvement gurus and business leaders, scholars and politicians are all talking today about “self-awareness” and living in this way. According to generally accepted psychological definitions, self-awareness is:

• The ability of a person to fully concentrate on the experience currently experienced (Marlatt & Kristeller, 1999);
• focusing in a certain way, for example: on the target, on the current moment and without a value (Kabat-Zinn, 1994).

Representatives of the scientific community are confident that, daily training self-awareness, a person can take advantage of the neuroplasticity of his brain and improve the quality of life. William James was one of the first psychologists who, at the end of the 19th century, turned to the concept of “neuroplasticity” in his work Principles of Psychology. The basic idea of ​​the concept of "neuroplasticity" is that our brain can self-structure depending on the experience experienced by a person and his perception of this experience. George continues:

“Management authorities like Bill George say that the best way to become more sustainable, resilient and mobile is to develop the qualities of a calm, humane and easily adaptable leader - a self-conscious leader. With today's global instability, the need for prudent leaders is greater than ever. ”

According to my observations, from prudent self-conscious people, leaders are much more successful than unrestrained, aggressive personalities. They are aware of their reaction to stress in crisis situations and understand how this reaction affects others. They inspire people to take on more responsibilities and responsibilities, and combine them to accomplish common tasks.

As well as many other inhabitants of the planet, I suffer from routine daily work, difficulties associated with managing people, and the need to keep pace with the constantly changing world. My sympathy and inclination for a self-conscious lifestyle has nothing to do with any kind of scientific research — it is explained by my roots in Eastern philosophy and constant self-analysis.

Last Saturday, I had the chance to spend a couple of hours with Bhante Vimala in a meditation session. For 36 years he was a Buddhist monk and is known throughout the world as a responsive and sympathetic spiritual mentor, author of the teachings "Lessons of the Lotus". This successful meeting with Bhante convinced me of the correctness of my method of mind control.
Based on what I learned from my meeting with Bhante, I cite several principles of mind control.

Live the moment

Being in the current moment allows us to protect ourselves from unfavorable conditions and save our internal energy . Living in the present does not mean giving up concern for the future. This means that when making a decision to do something, we focus solely on the chosen action, and not wander mentally in the future or the past.

It is believed that a Zen monk has only two classes: meditation (meditation) and cleaning. Cleansing is one of the daily rituals of Zen monks and one of their most important daily practices. At the moment of harvesting, for example, they try to do nothing else, concentrating only on their current occupation.

The next time you do housework, try to concentrate on the task at hand — on the dust, on the movements with which you wipe it, on your feelings. Cooking and cleaning are often perceived as boring housework, but in reality this is a great way to practice mindfulness and awareness. This is a job that I try to do at least once or twice a week. It sounds simple, but in fact it is quite difficult - try it yourself.

Let off

Fear is a protective emotion that signals danger, helping us prepare and deal with it. Fear is perhaps the key fundamental emotion that holds us back and makes us miserable. Fear of failure, of losers, fear of success, of the unknown, and also fear of moving forward and change.

Along with fear, emotional pain is also a key deterrent. Although the cause of our pain may be other people, often the pain is associated with our internal problems, for example, with the inability to achieve the desired goal.

The physical reaction to fear and pain is called the “fight or run” reflex. To be self-conscious means to act by the opposite of this reflex. A self-conscious way of living means the ability to “let go” of a situation. This process is an internal action - the cessation of opposition to fear and pain. So we gain the ability to see the situation more clearly.

Buddhism asserts that the main source of suffering is that it “overlaps” with negative emotions. Thus, separating or “not imposing” anything on the emotions, we get rid of fear and pain.

Rejection is the result of a “non-judgmental (non-judgmental)” view of life and people. It allows us to forgive others and themselves errors and inconsistencies with accepted standards. Simply put, we must be ready to let go of fear, pain, anger, and human failings. We are talking about the ability to let go of what stimulates the ongoing process of change. That is what makes us flexible and adaptable. But it is not easy to let go - this requires constant efforts. This is what I fight for every day.

Slow down

“Drink tea, not adjusting the time, slowly and reverently, as if this is the axis around which the whole earth rotates. Live in the moment " - Tich Nat Khan.

For a fast-paced active entrepreneur, such as I, perhaps the most paradoxical lesson was the need to slow down in order to move forward. Slowdown is a deliberate choice, which can lead to the fact that you begin to value life more and become happier, and this will surely result in high achievements.

In the context of self-conscious living, slowing down does not mean taking a vacation every two months. This is what should happen during the day. Slowdown means the allocation of a sufficient amount of time for any occupation. You will need to concentrate on one single action, rather than switching between multiple tasks, without focusing on any of them. “Slowdown” is a deliberate act produced in order to achieve “self-awareness”. American author, poet, philosopher Henry David Thoreau summed up all of the above, saying:

“I got up early and went to swim to the pond. It was a religious act and one of the best things I have ever done. It is said that the inscription describing this daily pilgrimage was carved on the bathing barrel of King Ching-Chang. “Update yourself completely every day. Do it again and again and always. ”

PS We recommend another article on the topic - Want to do more? Take more breaks!

Translated by Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult .