Seven months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 224. Yesterday, I talked about putting yourself out there. Today is a new day.
Looking back on my life, there were a lot of times where I found myself in moments where everything was in chaos and in the heat of the moment I felt clarity. When I was on the track team during my middle school years I'd have to partake in races. In these races I'd be running as fast as I could, but during these brief moments I would become hyper-aware of my surroundings: every step, every breath, the roaring of the crowd, the distance between me and the other racers. Even though the race itself was 10-20 seconds, it felt like an eternity and my thoughts could come in a million miles an hour. What seemed like a 50-page analysis on the race itself coursed through my mind detail by detail in that short amount of time like I was studying the whole time. By the end of the race, I'd come back from some crazy hyperbolic time chamber.
Examples like this happen a lot, whether it's through a fighting match, working multiple Black Friday shifts in retail, or even teaching some of my wilder kids classes. In such times my mind would be running at a million miles an hour and hardly had any time to think. Yet although everything would be chaotic, I would also feel a sense of calm from it. Despite the intensity and pressure our bodies are able to adapt to these situations and although it can be a huge mental and physical drain, it helps us grow.
In my case I've learned that we carry the capacity to rise to any challenge if we have the right resolve and willpower. It's all a matter of focus. When Einstein said that time is relative, perspective very much applies to our mentality. That's how we can play video games for a "short time" and then realize we've actually been playing for 8 hours when we check the clock. Some people experience this when taking Prozak or similar "study-enhancers", but it's like our minds flip a switch and put us into overdrive. This state of mind is often referred to as "flow" among psychologists, and it allows us to perform at our peak and push past our limits. It's essentially being so focused on what you're doing that everything else becomes irrelevant. It's delving deep into the chaos and meeting the calm eye of the hurricane. Amidst the dissonance lies opportunities for evolution. What we can accomplish when in flow is limited to our mentality.
If we can master this state of mind, who knows what we'd be capable of? How far can we go?
Peace
"Out of the clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert EinsteinI woke up in a haze from drinking the night before. I wasn't hungover, but my mental state wasn't fully there. My thoughts were jumbled, my movements slow, and the surrounding noise made everything felt hectic. I decided to take solace in the moment and it reminded me the importance of being calm and making the best out of our circumstances.
Looking back on my life, there were a lot of times where I found myself in moments where everything was in chaos and in the heat of the moment I felt clarity. When I was on the track team during my middle school years I'd have to partake in races. In these races I'd be running as fast as I could, but during these brief moments I would become hyper-aware of my surroundings: every step, every breath, the roaring of the crowd, the distance between me and the other racers. Even though the race itself was 10-20 seconds, it felt like an eternity and my thoughts could come in a million miles an hour. What seemed like a 50-page analysis on the race itself coursed through my mind detail by detail in that short amount of time like I was studying the whole time. By the end of the race, I'd come back from some crazy hyperbolic time chamber.
Examples like this happen a lot, whether it's through a fighting match, working multiple Black Friday shifts in retail, or even teaching some of my wilder kids classes. In such times my mind would be running at a million miles an hour and hardly had any time to think. Yet although everything would be chaotic, I would also feel a sense of calm from it. Despite the intensity and pressure our bodies are able to adapt to these situations and although it can be a huge mental and physical drain, it helps us grow.
In my case I've learned that we carry the capacity to rise to any challenge if we have the right resolve and willpower. It's all a matter of focus. When Einstein said that time is relative, perspective very much applies to our mentality. That's how we can play video games for a "short time" and then realize we've actually been playing for 8 hours when we check the clock. Some people experience this when taking Prozak or similar "study-enhancers", but it's like our minds flip a switch and put us into overdrive. This state of mind is often referred to as "flow" among psychologists, and it allows us to perform at our peak and push past our limits. It's essentially being so focused on what you're doing that everything else becomes irrelevant. It's delving deep into the chaos and meeting the calm eye of the hurricane. Amidst the dissonance lies opportunities for evolution. What we can accomplish when in flow is limited to our mentality.
If we can master this state of mind, who knows what we'd be capable of? How far can we go?
Peace
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| Beyond the hazy clouds of chaos lies the clarity to see the boundless sea of the cosmos and its infinite potential. |
Have you had similar experiences? What have you gained from them?
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