Have you ever said “yes” to something, only then to feel a tightness in the pit of your stomach, wishing you had said “No”? I have, and I’ve always disliked the feeling it left me. Because I wasn’t being truthful to myself. It’s like this: if I said no, I would feel guilty for having said no. If I said yes, going against what I really wanted, I would feel bad about the situation. Why do we stage ourselves for such lose-lose scenarios? Saying “yes” to things when it’s not what you really want can create a negative flow in your inner being. It can exhaust you mentally, waste your time and distract you from your purpose. Here are some tips that can help to bring some clarity and lighten up your mental ‘load’ when you want to say no:
Banishing clutter from your email with just a few proven tweaks can add a whole new dimension of smooth flow to your workday. If you’ve got 3,045 emails in your inbox, it can weigh on your subconscious and steal your momentum. The reminder that you’ve got this many unread emails can create noise and clutter your inner psychological space, not to mention be a source of distraction.
In just the way that a clean room or a clean desk can be energizing, banishing that email clutter will energize you as well. This creates a clean open space in your mind, which was taken up by the constant reminder of the number of emails still needing your attention.
I use Gmail to help organize messages, keep my inbox light and uncluttered. It’s an excellent productivity tool. Click here to read why.
I love the Archive option (I feel it’s one of the most underused, productivity tool), because it clears emails and reminders of unanswered emails out of your visual field. You can focus on one thing at a time. It’s like that calm and pleasant feeling of having nothing on your clean desk, yet you know where your all your files are kept.
Simple Steps to keeping an uncluttered inbox:
1. Create four labels:*Note: Putting the number in the label will make it stay in consecutive order, which is helpful as you organize tasks to do.
Periodically, I find myself feeling nervous for no apparent reason, or sometimes for a reason, at which point my mind will create stories to instill fear and worry into my being. My stomach would tighten up and when observed closely, I could feel myself breathing shallowly. It is so easy to to fall into that state once it starts.
Your mind is so powerful. It is so easy to be unconscious. But you know deep down that you are in control and that you can switch out of that state in an instant: the instant you decide to feel joy and refuse to believe in your mind created story, which is no longer serving you.
Three powerful questions to ask your self at any point:
Chapter One of “Meditation is for You” by Swamiji Nithyananda says “…without exception, every single goal points to the same thing – a yearning for the state of bliss.”No one can say “I don’t care being happy? Or I don’t want to be in a state of blissfulness.”
However intellectual and sophisticated the term is, and when we express it, what we are all seeking is nothing but achieving peace within ourselves and the feelings of blissfullness. Only the ways we search for it is different. It could be through money, power, or relationships. It could also be through all the comic and tragic dramas of our daily lives. It is the single motivating force of our lives.
“Meditation is nothing but a preparation to rediscover the state of Bliss that is already inside you,” – Swamiji Nithyananda
If the above two quotes are tricky for you to personally relate, then try to remember the moments when you’ve experienced extreme beauty. As such moments, we suddenly “become still, wordless and totally aware. And that moment is meditation.”, Nithyananda
Much of what I experienced with feelings of peace, calmness and bliss this past year is attributed to my exploration with meditation techniques. I’ve explored techniques expressed by Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Falun Dafa and Swamiji Nithyananda. I’ve also tried techniques with sound, visualization and have tried both Tibetian and Zen meditation.
The benefits of meditation is well documented, here are some that I’ve experienced personally to achieve focus and concentration:
My latest obsession is public speaking. I don’t know what hit me, but I’m finding myself making excuses to speak in front of people. As with photographing people, I started, because I was afraid of it, and I had over come that fear by just doing it (repeatedly), until I fell in love with the act and couldn’t stop. Public speaking is similar. I’ve extracted out some useful tips from “Podium Tactics From 28 Public-Speaking Pros“. These are general tips from the speakers. I will cover specific techniques in a later blog post.
“..putting aside a lack of confidence and delivering a message more important than your feelings and sensitivity. It’s about recognizing that your presentation is meant to help someone.”, George Foreman
Take time each day to be still.
In being still,
you can calm the stormy waters,
and allow the sun and the moon to be reflected
on the surface of Your being.
And feel the peace and serenity
that is always present within.
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Paul Armstrong
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*Note: Putting the number in the label will make it stay in consecutive order, which is helpful as you organize tasks to do.
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