Cover of Thich Nhat Hanh

The following are my notes from  Thich Nhat Hanh’s talk at Plumb Village on July 12 2012.

I love this definition for Meditation -

“Meditation is looking and listening deeply with concentration to the extent that you can sense things other people cannot see or hear. “

Meditating is just taking the time to really look at things with attention and concentration. To not be stressed and rushing about.

If you look deeply at anyone you can see the seed of love and also the seed of anger and many other seeds.  There is anger and violence in all of us – sleeping seeds mostly. With meditative practice the seed of anger can be reduced. It is not easy to get a meditation practitioner angry. But, for someone with a large seed of anger it is easy to provoke them.  People who get angry are the victims of their own anger and violence.  Can you do something to help them suffer less?  To minimize the anger and violence in them.  Even if there are big seeds of anger in people there are still seeds of goodness, kindness and compassion however small. What can we do to water these good seeds and not water the seeds of anger? Even a very violent person has small seeds of goodness and kindness.

We can’t just sit back and watch others be angry.  If we don’t do anything, the seeds of anger in others will water the same seeds of anger in us. We don’t want to suffer like that.

What can we do when someone is angry?

It takes just  5 minutes. Breath in and recognize that in you there is the seed of kindness, compassion and love. When you breath out ask yourself, “what can I do to water that persons seed of kindness, compassion and love also”. The answer will come to you.

Resolving Difficulties In Life

We all have obstacles and difficulties with our physically being.  If our spiritual nature is weak we will find it hard to overcome the difficulties life always throws at our physical bodies. Daily meditative practice will help our spiritual bodies grow.

Exercises For Building The Spiritual Body

Exercise 1: Recognition of In and Out Breath

Recognize your in breath as in breath. Recognize out breath as an out breath.

You concentrate on only one object – the in breath – “I know I am breathing in.’” Likewise for your out breath – “I know I am breathing out.”

This simple exercise helps bring the mind back to the body and let go of the past (regrets) and of  the future (anxieties and fears). Just one in breath can free us. Anyone can do it.

Exercise 2:  Following The In and Out Breath

During the whole length of my in breath I follow from beginning to end. Do the same for the out breath. This exercise allows concentration to manifest.

Exercise 3:  Awareness Of Physical Body

When you are aware of your breath and your body you are really in the present. This exercise brings the mind back to body. We all want to live our life fully. How? With mindfulness of our oneness – mind and body. Maybe there are too many tensions in your body and you become aware of the pain and tension for the first time as a result of this exercise. The next exercise will help.

Exercise 4: Calm The Body

This is the first step in loving ourselves.

On in breath – “I am aware of my whole body”.  On out breath – “I release all tension ”.  This will also help us reduce the pain in our bodies, as pain can be the result of tension.

Exercise 5:  Mindfulness Of Feelings

We should never cover up our pain and suffering. Our suffering is like a little child. We need to be there for him – “I am here for you.”  Take the pain in our arms with love and care for it.

Good practitioners can bring up feelings of joy and happiness with mindful breathing.

When your breath in and you bring the mind to the body you may realize there are seeds of happiness already there. It disperses the “forgetfulness” of actually who, what where we are.

Exercise 6: Mindfulness of Joy and Happiness

Letting go of the past and the future.  Joy and Happiness are born from “letting go”, mindfulness and concentration. When you are free it is very easy to be happy. Happiness is not made from money, fame, power or sex, but in being free.

Breathing in “I know joy is available right now”

When To Do Meditative Exercise

Try doing the exercises anytime during the day. On the train, bus, at lunch time.  We all have the power to generate joy and happiness with mindfulness practice at any time. It is possible with the previous simple exercises.

Source: Overcoming Difficulties With Meditative Practice

It’s St Patrick’s day today. Laughing is great for the health so here is my collection of clean and funny Irish jokes for your enjoyment.

How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time? He’s Dublin over with laughter!

Why would you never iron a four-leaf clover? Because you shouldn’t press your luck!

What do you call a leprechaun covered in cement?…a wee hard man…

Why do people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day? Regular rocks are too heavy.

How do you confuse an Irishman? Put two shovels against a wall, and tell him to take his Pick…

How would you recognize an Irish pirate? He’s the one with patches over both eyes…

When is an Irish potato not an Irish potato? When it’s a French fry!

Q. Why can’t you borrow money from a leprechaun? A: Because they’re always a little short.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Irish.
Irish who?
Irish you a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Laughter is truly the best medicine.

Source: Clean Irish Jokes For St Patricks Day

The final week of the 100 day challenge. This has been a journey and an adventure and one I plan to continue in the coming year. The daily lessons have helped spur me on with my Life goals – like a virtual life coach.  It has not been easy and at times but in the end the journey was worth more than the final destination, in terms of character building and discipline.

Day 92: Develop Success Habits

“All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action.” ~ J. R. Lowell

Day 93: Keep Your Promises

"You commit career malpractice every time you do things in a mediocre manner, every time you show up late, every time you are unprepared." ~ Garry Ryan Blair

Day 94: Execution And Implementation

“..goals never fail, only implementation does.” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

Day 95: Show Don’t Tell

"As I grow older I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do." ~Andrew Carnegie

Day 96: Empowering Living

“..demand more from yourself and from those around you.” ~Garry Ryan Blair

Day 97: Live The Strenuous Life

"Health is actually Better than wealth." ~ Garry Ryan Blair

“He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 98: Leave A Legacy

"It’s non-negotiable: You will leave a legacy. The question is not whether you’ll leave a legacy but what legacy you will leave." ~ Garry Ryan Blair

Day 99: The Pursuit Of Freedom

“The man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.” ~Andrew Carnegie

Day 100: Rewards And Recognition

“The Journey Is It’s Own Reward” ~ Unknown

Come join us in the next Goals Guy 100 Day Challenge.

Source: 100 Day Challenge Week Fourteen

This week I especially liked the lesson on Day 86 and the quote from Albert Einstein.

Day 85: Do It Right The First Time

“Never pay twice for the same lesson and mistake.” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

Day 86: Know Your Limitations

“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” ~Albert Einstein

Day 87: Hit The Mean

“Setting goals is much more than achievement, it is who we become in the process” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

“We are the sum of our actions so our actions make all the difference.” ~ Aristotle

Day 88: Take Initiative

“Success does not require a permission slip but it does require initiative.” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

Day 89: Intelligent Risk Taking

“The highest form of success comes to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.””~Theodore Roosevelt

Day 90: Flip The Switch

“Written goals are catalysts for transformation.” ~Garry Ryan Blair

Day 91: Change And Consequence

“To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” ~Helen Keller

Source: 100 Day Challenge Week Thirteen

It’s nearing the end of the year and the end of the challenge. I must admit, with the rush of Christmas coming up I fell behind in the challenge. I am back on track now. Enjoy some of my favorite quotes from week twelve of the challenge.

Day 78: Write It Down

“The product (Goal) keep us hungry, the process is what gets us there.” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

“You may not love the work but you must have profound respect for the process. The process is what champions are made of.” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

Day 79: Always Go North

“You must understand that this lifetime is not a dress rehearsal, therefore you must get serious, take massive action and create an sense of emergency in all that you do.” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Day 80: Enjoy The Journey

“Longevity and peace of mind ! If stress and negativity can make us ill, laughter, love and positivity can make us well.” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

“You grow up the day you have the first real laugh – at yourself.” ~Ethel Barrymore

Day 81: Watch Your Language

“An effective goal setter will never express an opinion. You know what you want, why you want it, how you will achieve it and speak with the confidence and conviction that says you know” ~Garry Ryan Blair

Day 82: Etiquette And Civility

“Do unto others as you would others do unto you.” ~Unknown

Day 83: Exceed Expectations

“The distance between those who achieve their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following has everything to do with one’s ability to go the extra mile.” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

Day 84: Create Brand You

“A personal brand is the mental picture that people conjure up when your name is mentioned..” ~ Garry Ryan Blair

Source: 100 Day Challenge Week Twelve

It’s now week eleven in the  100 day challenge. Here are are few notes I took from this week’s lessons along with some inspirational quotes from Garry Ryan Blair.

Day 71: Nurture Your Natural Talents

We need to identify and nurture our natural gifts. Why?  Work flows easily and with little effort if we concentrate on what we are good at.  It gives us a surge of energy and is the key to work fulfillment.

Day 72: Assume the Position

Take the position that your success is guaranteed and that issues and problems are just speed bumps on the road to success.

“The only reason to set a goal is to achieve it.” ~Gary Ryan Blair

“Assume the position. No one  is going to give you the title. You have got to claim it.” ~Gary Ryan Blair

Day 73: Pay the Price

“Everything you want in life, every goal you want to achieve, every dream you want to manifest comes with a price tag.” ~Gary Ryan Blair

“The suffering cost of failure is always higher than the suffering price for success.” ~Gary Ryan Blair

Day 74: Use The Parent Perspective

We can mold our own character and control our own destiny. With everything you do imagine that your children are looking over your shoulder. Do what is right even when it is difficult.

Day 75: Weapons of Mass Production

Some examples include; excuses, insecurity, procrastination, self-pity, self doubt, anger, fear, apathy, sarcasm.. the list goes on.  These real weapons of mass destruction have killed more dreams, careers, marriages, ideas and lives than any missile every could.

Day 76: Everything Counts

“Everything, regardless of size or intent, has bottom-line consequences; therefore, everything counts — this is the golden rule of excellence.” ~ Gary Ryan Blair

Day 77: Best Personal Practices

Being the best you possibly can be is not an act. It is a habit.

“First and foremost, your mission in life must include a commitment to being the best you can possibly be.” ~Gary Ryan Blair

Source: 100 Day Challenge Week Eleven