How nice it would be if I could meditate more often. How nice it would be if I could eat better. Exercise more. Drink less. Be kinder...
I am definitely going to meditate more often. I am definitely going to eat better. Exercise more. Drink less. Be kinder...
Two paragraphs. Two simple demonstrations of the differences between aspiration and intention.
Aspiration is the wish to do something. “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could...”
Intention is all about how much energy you are prepared to put into doing whatever you set your mind on. “I am definitely going to do all I can to accomplish... “
Positive thinking. We all value it and know its importance in every aspect of our lives. And for it to work for us, there is an essential pre-requisite, and then two powerful ways I know that explain how to “do it”, but first
Thought for the day
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy,
The chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation,
There is one elementary truth
The ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
That the moment one definitely commits oneself,
Then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
That would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
Raising in one's favour all manner
Of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance
Which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
William Murray
NOTE This whole quote is often attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, however, it was actually written by Murray at the start of the 1961 Scottish Himalayan Expedition.
I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
The crucial starting point – advancing from aspiration to intention
Aspiration.
We say: “I hope it will happen.” “It would be nice it will happen.” “With a bit of luck it might happen...” Aspiration is an important starting point – it is where a good idea begins to formulate. However, if it remains at that level, whether it happens or not is probably more to do with chance than Positive Thinking. To get things done we need a strong intention.
My take on positive thinking is that it is all to do with understanding how our thinking mind works, and using it intelligently.
The Oxford dictionary defines mind as being “the seat of perception, thinking, volition and feeling”.
A very instructive definition.
Now, we hear a good deal about perception, thinking and feeling.
But then there is volition.
Do not hear much about that!
Volition is our will, our determination, our resolve – our intention. Without it nothing gets done. Without it we are left vulnerable to all sorts of outer and inner conflicts.
With our volition active, with our resolve in hand, there is clarity, there is commitment and confidence. With resolve there is the energy to follow through amidst all manner of challenges, obstacles, successes and failures; there is the energy to accomplish just about anything. Resolve. Volition. Intention.
Now the Positive Thinking techniques
There are two useful ways of explaining how to put positive thinking into action.
My own preference
Three Principles of Positive Thinking:
1. Have a clear goal
2. Do whatever it takes (to accomplish that goal)
3. Choose to enjoy doing it.
The other that is often used in sporting and business circles is more instructive when it comes to resolve.
This approach is based upon clarifying 4 steps:
The Four Steps of Positive Thinking:
What, Why, How and How much?
What do you intend to do?
Why do you intend to do it?
How do you intend to do it?
How much do you want to do it?
This last point is the key to resolve. How much do you want to do something? Is this a casual business? If it happens it would be nice, or if not, no big deal?
Or is this endeavour a matter of life and death?
I must say over the years it has amazed me to observe the number of people who when faced with a life threatening condition like cancer remain casual. Others are more like how I was when acutely ill 50 years ago; my recovery was based on a life or death commitment.
My resolve, my strong intention, was that during my recovery nothing was more important than getting well. Everything I did for several years had to satisfy the basic question - is this good for my health? My recovery? Of course that included having fun, but it also made it easy to fore-go many things, and to do stuff that was not always as “easy” as it may have seemed on the surface.
I have seen this same level of intention in business, in study, in sport, in music and in the intention to become a better person. A strong intention is the secret to positive thinking, to bringing into reality our good aspirations.
So how important are the things you aspire to?
Finally, the Dalai Lama has something useful to say on this:
“If an individual were to make conscious intention to live his or her life with a sense of purpose, live it in a good way, then the ripple effect of that really spreads. First, from the individual to the family, then to the community… and so on. This is how society gets changed and effected.
“When we talk about the transformation of society, the transformation really has to start from the individual, from inside to outwards.”
More details
My book : The Mind that Changes Everything
Download: Mind Training - Using the Power of your Mind
Join us on the Meditation Community - an inclusive, online space to learn, practice and deepen your meditation with daily live guided practices and much more...
No comments:
Post a Comment