The Monkey Mind - 5/31/2009

Aloha! I am writing this Article of the Week while on vacation in Maui, Hawaii. It is very early morning, the sun is majestic as it rises and our room overlooks a beautiful beach and the blue-green waters of the Pacific Ocean. With nature’s wonders as a back-drop I just completed a 30 minute guided meditation (Meditations for Elite Performances by Robin Sharma) and my overwhelming feeling is that all is right with the world.

I am also acutely conscious of the fact that whenever I mention the word meditation (that’s why the tricky title), I get various and sundry different reactions from the individuals or audiences I am speaking with.  Some smile and with a knowing nod of the head say, "The practice of daily meditations has changed my entire life,” while others say that they have tried it and it simply does not work for them. 

And then, of course, there are those who really do not even come close to understanding the incredible power of meditation, yet frown and look at me as if I have lost my mind.

My “knowing” of the values of meditation comes from personal experience and my observation of those who use meditation to slow down the constant chatter and screaming of the left brain and open up the right brain – the brain of intuition, creativity and natural balance.

On his CD, my good friend and mentor Robin Sharma speaks about “The Monkey Mind,” which in essence talks about the conscious mind which is always running and never slows down.  It is always thinking, thinking and thinking – and mostly that chatter is worrying about the past, having anxiety for the present and fearing the future.  Stress is always the end result.

Meditation allows you to cure The Monkey Mind and enables you to be fully engaged in the present moment, which is a powerful thing.

For me, daily meditation (a part of every Cabin Experience) allows me to experience peace and relaxation, yet gives me stamina and helps me be more vital and energetic. Meditation promotes creativity that I never knew I had and increases my faith in myself.

Meditation provides perspective – opens up my ability to be more flexible and to make better choices.  Meditation creates shifts in my behavior and shows me new ways of looking at problems or opportunities.

Meditation increases my awareness and awareness leads to better choice making ability.  Better choices in thinking allows for taking different kinds of action and therefore getting different and better results.

Consistent meditation removes much of the dissatisfaction I used to carry around, and it allows me to experience a deep level of fulfillment and satisfaction – even if I don’t solve all of my problems.

Basically, what I am saying is that meditation is the method I use to slow my left brain down so my daily affirmations become more effective.  And during the mediation itself, when my right brain is engaged, I use my vivid and detailed visualizations (mind pictures) to create the tangible realities of my dreams.

Please give this a real attempt.  They key is to do it consistently and make the time to use the one tool guaranteed to give you what you want – a better, more successful and more peaceful life.

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