Q: What’s Your Mantra When Things Go Wrong? How about When Thing Go Right?!
The pillar that I want to discuss today is Gratitude, and how we can apply it to every moment of our life using a ‘Mantra’.
A mantra is just a fancy word for a “mind tool”, a simple phrase that you have ready-at-hand to help you ‘flip the switch’ when you’re acting in a less ideal state to instantly transform into the best version of yourself. (think of it as creating your “Clark Kent process to instantly turn into Superman”).
Having a mantra prepared allows you to live proactively. It empowers you to take control of your emotions, rather than let them lead you down a less present path towards anxiety (thinking about the future) or depression (thinking about the past). The moment you “feel” a certain way, you can use that emotion for what it truly is, a useful cue to choose your response.
Which leads me back to Gratitude. When something goes wrong, what do you say to yourself? Decorated Navy SEAL, Jocko Willink practices a universal mantra, that allows him to see everything life with a sense of gratitude. His mantra; “Good”. That is his response to everything! If his car doesn’t start. “Good!”! If someone insults him, “Good!” If he gets sick, “Good!”. It reminds him that life is inherently good, that no event outside of his control is bad, it’s just reality. He, like many high performers, believes that it’s our “response-ability” to seize the moment and decide how to experience our reality—we always have a choice when choosing how we respond.
Renowned, Indian meditation teacher, Eknath Easwaran, has an even more empowered universal response to good or bad realities. It’s just as simple and equally eloquent; he says, “Thank You. To whatever happens; “Thank you”. He thanks whatever higher power he believes in for whatever he experiences!
Try it! Do you go from feeling stressed/annoyed/whatever to feeling truly GRATEFUL?
You don’t even have to do anything other than kickstart the mantra. After a few reps, your mind will come up with things for which you can be grateful in the midst of whatever might be challenging you!
#FlipTheSwitch #Gratitude
+1: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
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