Discipline, Consistency & Greater Self Control – A 28-Day Challenge
This is not an April fool’s joke- it is time I challenge myself again. This is not reason to increase the complexity of my existence it is a chance to simplify it by being in charge and seeking change and improvement.
For those of you who follow me at The Hidden Why you will be familiar with some of my recent thoughts with particular reference to being the captain of my ship, the master of my soul. Not negotiating with my mind. Talking to myself and directing my life. Being my own greatest leader not a mere cog in the wheel of my consciousness.
I have also found interest in science, particularly discovered through the works of Sam Harris, neuroscientist and philosophical writer, that proves there is no free will. With all this thought in mind I have a great desire right now to sharpen things up and prove a few things to the Self and seek to discover what is true and what is truth. (more…)
Remove The Thorns Holding You Back – Invest In Your Personal Development
To really begin the journey of life and understanding what it all means you have be ready to commit to your own transformation. Firstly, this requires the ability to break free from your self-caused suffering. The more you are suffering the harder it is to proceed. This doesn’t mean you need to be free to proceed and progress. Freedom is created in the work itself.
Imagine for a moment you had a terrible big thorn in the bottom of your foot. If you’ve had one of those before you will know of the pain it can cause even without walking on it. Now imagine you had to walk 1000 meters with that thorn in your foot. The pain would be immense and the suffering would distract you away from any magic that may come about in the moment.
Suffering is like having a thorn in your foot. It hurts. It distracts our focus from greater things. It will stick around until we pull it out and remove it. That is the nature of suffering. (more…)
A Thought On Self-Sabotage
You know what you want. The Self-knows it. But you also see what you are comfortable with so you choose to do what you know. You have ambitions, you know you’d love to sing and inspire many, jumping like a mad dog from a stage into the crowd, but your consciousness and subconscious has no concept of this.
The subconscious is to be responsible for 95 to 99 percent of all our behaviours. It is controlling us. It brings to our reality what we know and what we believe to know. To believe that we might be a major rock star some day singing from stage to thousands of fans may be hard to grasp. Dreams are always hard to convince ourselves or others of their possibility.
To sit and drink and eat pasta, followed by wine, banter with friends, playing games or watching a movie, now this is familiar. This kind of common behaviours I have no problem in pursuing.
The mind much like the universe attracts to it what it knows. How do you find a way around this? I want to inspire, I want to motivate, I want to be something else, the David Wood, the Tony Robbins, the spiritual wise guy, but I have no idea how. I can learn I can better understand yet I am no nearer that state of being that I desire.
Perhaps this is all that is and will be. I don’t think it is, nor do I wish for it to be, but it just might be. As I look at life as it exists, understanding the history and evolution and human kind, and even experience an ability to manipulate my reality, I know that reality is a creation of the conscious mind.
Law, rules, life, happiness, what is it, and what is my ambition for doing as I desire? It is no more real than the computer than I type on – a mere conjuring of energy, atoms and perception. Maybe more! I cannot be sure.
Science suggests that the idea of “free will” is an illusion. Neurologists have discovered that our behaviours are simply responses to the electro-energy pulses that cause our neurons to fire and us to act. Based on our environment, our past all the way back to our birth and beyond. Our evolutionary genes are also partly responsible.
If this is the case and our life is without choice, then who we are and what does it all mean? If I were to recede, fall back, smoke opium, seek constant pleasure in the attempt to avoid or not to accept displeasure would I be any happier or real? That kind of thought brings me to the ground. I wonder why I don’t seek to drug myself – and then I remember how much more clear and how much more pleasure I have by not drugging myself. I am guilty of over-drinking but not so much anymore. The conditioning of the past is sometimes difficult to clean up. It takes time! Acknowledge this and persist.
It has been said the intoxication much like food, shelter and warmth is a need. The need to detach ourselves from the illusion of Self. Become at one with the universe and see greater truths beyond the mesmerising chaotic state of mind that we as a collective society have become bound.
Throughout our evolutionary process, it seems each advancement that has promised to bring us greater joy and a higher quality of life has also taken away some of our ability to live with freedom, fulfilment and happiness. Our lifestyles are having an impact on our ability to meet our fundamental human needs – growth, health, expression, significance, contribution and love.
It makes sense to me to take drugs. Mind-altering drugs. While I use to think I enjoyed smoking cigarettes it makes less sense to me now. I would be better off smoking something to remove me from my absorption in my Self.
Animals intoxicate. Dolphins eat puffer fish. Elephants, apes, and monkeys get drunk on fermented fruit. Others take ayahuasca. Goats eat magic mushrooms, and wallabies eat poppy seeds. Many animals like to get high! Escaping our Self is not an uncommon notion.
Meditation is perhaps the cleanest and healthiest way to do this. While it is not a process of leaving the body, it is a process of observing and better understanding the mind, the sanctuary in which the concept of Self is formed.
Like free will, however, the Self is also an illusion. The soul, the Self, the why, they do not exist, and yet we can all relate to some form of them. It feels like we have a choice or free will in life. Just as it feels as if we are the drivers of the Self that propels us on our unique paths in life and differentiates us from others. It gives us a sense of separation, and maybe that is part of the cause for some of our suffering.
Some issues may arise from accepting determinism a belief that there is no free will. To acknowledge that there is no Self might seem liberating, but how might it be damaging to the quality of life we live?
If you are not responsible for your actions, if you have no choice, if who you are and who you will become is outside your control then why do anything at all? Living with such notions will kill ambitions, motivation and inspiration to search for meaning in life. An attachment to an identity of Self creates meaning in life and at the same time can lead to greater suffering.
Such belief will also dull our senses to the experience of life through a lack of effort to experience more. It will limit us in our pursuit of self-progression. We will become less grateful, less willing, less giving, less creative, less caring, less moral, less relevant. Only the last of these may bring some benefits for I think it is when we let go of the importance and attachment to the Self we can truly be free. As for the rest, they will only bring about greater unhappiness in life.
Self-sabotage is the will to damage, destroy or obstruct our own lives. Why would any of us wish to block the paths of our journey forward in life, it seems ludicrous but is often the case. We know what we want but what stops us from getting it? Resources, time, knowledge or skill? Is it any of these things?
Resources are abundant and more accessible than ever. Time is limited and decreasing every single moment, so waiting is not a good idea. If anything the knowledge of this should be our greatest motivation to get out of our way and take action towards living our dreams. Right now you have the most time you ever will so use it wisely and use it with great purpose.
Knowledge and skill can be learned, and in the age of information, we are surrounded by it. It might be that the only thing holding us back from progressing and living the life we desire is the Self or more specifically the attachment to a particular identity of Self.
If our actions are constantly being predicted based on our past perhaps what we do next is out of our control. Our unconsciousness may be keeping living in the environment and state of being that we are familiar. How can we influence all of this? The best way I know of is by becoming more aware of the mind.
If neurons fire based on our past experiences what if we manipulate them towards how we wish to act in the future by pushing ourselves into new and unfamiliar experiences? I think we can.
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe it achieves, whatever you think about the most you become.” Napoleon Hill
First, we have to stop taking life so seriously. Relax! Your survival and my survival is worth caring about, but we are no more important or separate from the grand cosmos than a blade of grass or grain of sand. Acknowledging this is useful. If you find it hard then look into the night sky and try to find the reason why we are more important than anything else that does or may exist out there.
How we wish to live and breathe through what we do matters. So do the experiences we have and how we feel. Doing good and avoiding actions that may cause ourselves or others suffering. That stuff is important. After we go, and death is common to us all, we take nothing with us. All that remains is what we have given in life. And we are best able to give when we stop our self-sabotage.
Secondly, we must better understand the Self. Meditation and mindfulness practices will allow you to assess the mind and contemplate life and in practice, it will have significant benefits. With this kind of understanding, you will better understand why you do as you do, why others do as they do, why things exist as they are. It will allow you to appreciate the moment as it is and avoid the traps and discomfort of the past or the future that do not exist.
Finally, create the new comfort that you desire by moving beyond your current comfortable states. If what keeps us where we are is the fear of stepping out of our comfort zone what happens if we change those fears by stepping into these new dimensions.
Step up on a stage and sing to crowds and see what happens to the subconscious mind. Influence our realities by taking action towards the dreams we have, and we will experience the change of the mind and how it goes about creating and interpreting the reality we live.
Self-sabotage is real. I am an example of this. Too often I stand in my way, blocked by my fears. I resonate with a sense of Self but know it does not bind me unless I allow it to. I have seen how by chasing down new experiences I have been able to manipulate this image of Self and with that I’ve been able to move towards living the life I desire. An attachment to a Self that I create is restricting to my progress. Let it go!
It has been with greater awareness I have been able to understand myself better, my weaknesses and self-sabotaging tendencies. In waking up, we can free ourselves from our self-imposed limitations so that I can mend, heal, improve and progress to live life as we wish.
Be-Do-Have. Simplify and De-Clutter Your World & Create More Abundance
A few weeks ago I posted an article titled “Simplified Living for A Simplified Life: A Process for Creating More.” In this article I shared with you my experience as it relates to overwhelm and unnecessary consumption. My thoughts about living a simplified life were shared and why it is beneficial for the purpose of a meaningful existence.
My ideas about consumption don’t just relate to what we buy and possess but also in regards to what media we consume as well as what tasks and activities may, without great purpose, fill our daily lives. Things accumulate and without conscious awareness they can begin to consume us.
Today I wanted to share with you some practical thoughts that might of benefit in order to simplify and minimalize your life so that you can be more focused and effective, less overwhelmed and stressed, and more able to live life with greater freedom, fulfilment and happiness. (more…)
5 Benefits That Come from Discovering Your Why & Living It
Life’s goal is to live with greater Freedom, Fulfilment, and Happiness. To do this, we need to ultimately decide on what that looks like for each of us and then go about discovering and developing our WHY from there. There’s that WHY word again, the most powerful word I know.
Today I want to touch on 5 reasons, not the only ones, that you will benefit from by connecting with your why and using this as the tool to navigate you on your journey in this beautiful existence.
For me, asking the big questions about life and trying to experience, as best I can, living congruently with my inner “why” I have made some pretty exciting and rewarding discoveries. My wish is to share them using this platform.
When you follow your unique journey in life, according to your “why” life becomes that much more beautiful and here are five reasons why this occurs. (more…)
A Thought On Time, Correct Use of Time, Life and Productivity
I have always said that I am an impatient person in nature. This characteristic kind of forces me to make the most of time – to not use time incorrectly. Of course how I use time and therefore define “correct use” of time will likely differ from you. There is not one rule that fits us all. It is important to live this life as you wish and that doesn’t happen by following the typical paths of society or others. Do what works for you!
It is easy to appreciate the preciousness of time. Understanding it is our most valuable resource. I like being very conscious of time. And yet I wonder! I wonder how much pressure time places on me and how I live my life. Is it healthy? Do I allow time to own me? Is my consciousness of time and effectiveness with time actually the creator of much of my anxiety, stress and suffering? (more…)
Global Tribe – Is External Definition & Social A Cause of Self-Suffering?
It would appear that as a whole there is more fear in society than ever before. Many have stated that there is less to be fearful of than ever before. As it relates to our ability to survive there may be some truth to such claims. However, if people are living in greater fear than ever before what is going on.
Depression is on the rise despite the numerous methods of treatment available. There is more opportunity at our finger tips than ever before. For those fortunate to have basic needs covered, food, water, shelter and warmth, there is more life enhancing elements available at our disposal – yet fear is increasingly evident.
This is merely a perspective of my own based upon what I perceive and may or may not be more severe than I describe. I am my eye! I do not have all the answers nor do I know what is truly happening or causing the fear I see. I am a deep and compassionate man. I seek truth. I seek real. I desire less suffering. And I’d rather spend my time being a proponent of love, not fear. (more…)
Simplified Living for a Simplified Life: A Process for Creating More
Recently I found myself a little overwhelmed in life. This isn’t the first time. Life became more chaotic than was necessary. The interesting thing about accumulation and consumption is that it is gradual. Like a ninja in the night, you aren’t aware he’s there until – boom! It stabs you from behind, knocking you down almost in one swift blow.
Ok, perhaps I am being a little melodramatic. The truth is I am not alone. Many people in society suffer with this overwhelm from the pressures system of society place on us. None of us are forced to live in such a way, we are not classified officially as slaves, so why do we allow it to consume us. It is like an unwritten law or expectation. It consumes our soul. It consumes the beauty of our existence.
Consumption is rampant within society. Humans are addictive beings and when something makes us feel good, we crave more and slowly, or sometimes quickly, our consumption increases. It is easy to look at the material possessions and products that we consume as the problem however it goes beyond this. We become consumed by anything that “uses up” our resources including our time.
Whatever consumes us and is non-conducive to the importance of our existence I consider unhealthy. What I am marvelled by is how easy it is to become consumed. I am fascinated also by how negligent humans have become as a race to effects of consumerism. Not only do we accept it as a normal part of existence we worship it.
If aliens were to visit I wonder how we would appear to them. Like slaves? I understand drug addiction because I have been a drug-addict. As I look at the other activities society is consumed by I am not sure that there is great difference. Sure the ultimate effects of such activities may differ, like smoking – perilous!
Here is a thought, if consumption takes the joy away from this existence of life, if it shortens our time, if it causes suffering in our lives is it any different from a drug that may kill us? Is a smoker any worse off than a person addicted to sugar or a man who watches 5 hours of TV a day for now noticeable gain? Something to ponder.
Let’s pause and do some quick calculations. The average person is said to watch 5 hours of TV per day. Over a year that equates to 1,820 hours or 75 days. That is about one-fifth of a year dedicated to something that may not give us any significant gain. It can have the reserve effects of progress. Over the course of a lifetime, let’s say that’s 70 years, that is a massive 14 years watching TV. Wow!
I suggest that if it feels good do it. If you can see the benefits continue. I do not suggest that TV is evil, it can be entertaining and relaxing at times, it’s consumptive qualities are. Here is the fact with consumption, it affects our brain and neural paths to make us think we enjoy it. Nicotine has this affect to make us think we enjoy smoking but really, what is the joy from inhaling poisonous, bad tasting smoke into our lungs?
If something consumes us we must ask ourselves why and what is the greater benefit of such activities or behaviours. It is essential that we look beyond any immediate or false pleasures we associate with such activities. In most part it is just our conditioned mind having been brainwashed for days, weeks or years that makes us think its pleasurable even though it isn’t. For others it may actually be pleasurable yet because we are naturally short sighted, not being able to see too far into the future, we fail to realise the long-term effects such activities might have.
Dig deep to finding the real reason such activities consume you. I do not know the meaning of life but I have an opinion. I read somewhere that the purpose of life is the purpose of life. Simple yet perhaps true! I believe life is living with deep happiness. This requires the removal of suffering and to experience this existence in a way that makes us feel good, as best we can.
True happiness therefore is not a result of an activity that brings momentary pleasure to help mask suffering we may be experiencing. Suffering is self-created, agree or not, all suffering stems from one’s mind and the mind is the only place that we have absolute control. And I suggest one route cause is due to the consumption obsession society that we live in.
There is not one way to live life. Actually, let me restate that, there is only one way and that is to follow the path on your unique journey in life. To do this I believe we need to simplify our lives. If we can find ways to simplify how we live I believe we can actually create more.
For me what life boils down to is to make the best use of the time I have. Not to “use up” my time on wasteful activities that bring me no greater level of happiness. Time effectiveness is the ability to extract true purpose out of each moment. Therefore, if an activity or behaviours that is consuming in nature does not bring with it greater purpose, as it relatives to the individual, it needs to be disposed of.
I was knocked down, blindingly so from the accumulation of all the things that have been consuming me and my time. For someone that considers himself very self-aware I beat myself up as to why I’ve let this happen again. Consumption is deceptive. The addictive nature of the things we do make us believe we want more. They have a lure that can be so attractive and without conscious thought we swallow the lure and let it take us for a ride. I don’t want to be the catch of the day!
Not so long ago I released myself from the grips of material possessions. We made a move to a new country and in doing so sold much of what we owned. We still have some furniture and belongings stored in a container with the purpose so that if we do return home we don’t have to go out and buy more stuff. Other than that however for now I live a very minimalistic life.
I have things that are more out of necessity than desire. It surprising how little one really does need to live the life they desire. I don’t suggest that nice luxuries are evil. Some things do bring one a level of deep contentment. I know what I need and it’s not that much. It has been a gradual process and with practice I have become less a consumer of material things. It is very liberating.
The area that I realise that I must work on now is the other tasks and activities that consume my time. It was an accumulation of all the tasks and activities that I shoved into my schedule that lead to me overwhelm and burnout. I wasn’t a wreck rather I was feeling more anxious. Moments became less enjoyable as I ambitiously tried to navigate my way through the clutter of tasks that I put on my plate.
I am aware that we don’t need to rely on a disaster to occur before we consume less. Change doesn’t require us to “hit rock bottom.” We can look at our purchases as easily as we can look at our daily lives and activities with logic and ask ourselves, what has meaning? What can I remove? If you don’t have this level of awareness it is likely because you are so consumed by everything that infiltrates your life that there is simply a lack of time to be aware.
The process of simplification actually creates space to become more aware. In developing one’s awareness, we become more clear on what is essential and important in our lives and what is not. Question yourself and don’t be afraid to challenge an existing belief. It is likely such a belief is false and created from such consumptive behaviour in the first place. Awareness allows room for us to ask and reflect on important questions.
Ask yourself this, at the end of my life will removing this procession or activity from my life really matter? If you still find it hard to let go or grasp the concept of what truly matters in life go search YouTube for ‘planets size comparison’ videos. It helps me put things into perspective to how truly small I am. It helps me better understand what is important and what is not.
I am a big dreamer and very ambitious person. I have goals and things I want to achieve but I don’t wish to live this experience with suffering or regret. In not knowing when it may all end I simply want to be happy. I have discovered over several years, and still discovering that a simplified life actually creates more. We have all heard the saying that “less is more.” I believe this has some truth.
To live more simply and create a simplified life we first have to become aware. Realise our consuming behaviours and activities and then start with one small step to change/remove some of them. There are many methods and simple ideas that I will share with you in an upcoming article to assist you. Be mindful that how I simplify my life may not be the best or only method for you. If they assist and offer some value, then great.
As I have said before life is complex but this doesn’t mean how we live life needs to be complicated. It is human tendency to complicate things. The condition of consumption creates complexity. Find way to simplify life and one will find an increases abundance of everything that is truly important.
Goals, Visions, Ambitions, Life: Big Questions to Seek Harmony
I found myself asking the question again, “What am I doing with my life.” After taking time out and travelling for a couple of weeks with my family I was able to reflect upon life. The more we can disconnect the greater our clarity. I reflected mostly on the year just past.
Anytime is a wise time to reflect. An opportunity to clear away the clutter and overwhelm, and to reconnect and align yourself with your why to stay true to your journey in life.
Ask yourself about the past year. You could do this at any moment for any period of time. Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly. What worked well and what didn’t? What is making me feel good and what is causing suffering? And importantly is what I am doing with my life aligned with my greater vision. (more…)
Your Business WHY: Business with Greater Purpose Achieve Greater Success
Here at The Hidden Why I address topics on how to go about living life with greater passion and purpose by first starting with your why. The greater our why the more purposefully we proceed within this grand experience – that is the journey of life.
Without knowing the true answer, I suggest with all my heart that the ultimate purpose of life is happiness. Deep happiness! Not to be confused with this superficial-surface level happiness society has become so caught up in. How we each define happiness and what that feels like is unique to each of us and for that we have to own. For thoughts on defining happiness read this post.
As this relates to life so it does to business and the success there within. The same principles & practices when applied to a business will assist any business to create a more purposeful journey towards its ultimate goal – happiness! (more…)
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