Buddha on a Bike

 

Buddha on a Bike

©2015 Scott D. Wilson, P.Eng.

 

I am always looking for trends and common threads among successful people. Lately, I have noticed that very many successful people admit to various practices of mediation or mindfulness. The billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, Ray Dalio went so far as to say “Meditation more than anything in my life was the biggest ingredient of whatever success I've had.” That is quite an endorsement! There have been countless studies on meditation and here are just a few of positive effects of meditation:

• Reduction in stress and a better ability to handle stressors
• Improved brain functions
• Increased productivity in high performance situations
• Reduction in the symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Improved ability to fight disease and to maintain health
• Better-quality sleep
• Longer attention span and stronger ability to focus
• Increased metabolism and assists in weight loss (Yes, weight loss – through the increase in mitochondria!!)
• Greater level of creativity

These are just a small sampling of the benefits of meditative practices.

Now if you are like me then when you hear the words mindfulness and meditation you suddenly get a vision of a long-haired old hermit with a flowing beard seated at the top of a mountain. The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. In the 60’s the Beatles introduced eastern transcendental meditation into mainstream western culture. Since then we have tended to focus on the various forms of seated meditation from the ancient Ascetics to Zen monks. Fortunately, seated or static meditation is but one form of mindful exercises.

For me, the thought of sitting for a prolonged period without movement with the aim of clearing my mind and my thoughts is right up there with listening to fingers raking down a chalkboard. I am in no way dissing this means of contemplation. There is a time and a place for such practice and it is better suited for some people and less so for others. If these work for you then I encourage you to continue.

Others like me have been discouraged with many of the transcendental techniques. Fortunately, there are alternatives and I wish to increase awareness of them. Some of you may know that there are techniques known as moving meditation. By far the most popular is the practice of Tai Chi. Many martial arts employ moving meditations. For example, Karate employs various moving exercises called katas. Yes, these routines are a form of practicing the offensive and defensive techniques. They are also excellent forms of moving meditation.

Anyone who has sought to master a Tai Chi form or a martial art kata knows that you start out thinking your way through them and your mind jabbers as it seeks to remember and follow the movements. However, as you become more adept your mind stills as your focus on your arms, legs, breathing and so much more absorbs your entire attention. For folks like me this is a marvelous form of meditation – moving outside and still inside.

“But I don’t like martial arts and Tai Chi just isn’t for me!” you object. Guess what? Martial arts do not have the lock on this form of mindfulness. Ask a marathon runner or any other serious athlete and they will tell you that when they hit their stride that there are moments of peacefulness and stillness as all they hear is their blood pounding and the rhythm of their limbs. Do you have to be a professional athlete? Not from my experience. I have discovered that my meditation often occurs atop the pedals of my bicycle.

Sure, I start out just thinking about my day as I get started pedaling down my driveway. The mind is a persistent beast and it wants to go over all the various concerns of the day ahead. Eventually, as I drive my bike harder either in silence or while listening to music then the thoughts slowly quiet. There is just me and my bike connected to the road, the trees, the grass, the dew, the sunshine and the entire universe.

So am I saying that you must become a Buddha on a bike? No, but you must find an exercise that you can use for at least ten minutes that will afford you some quiet contemplation. I have found such moments of meditation in Tai Chi Chuan, running, biking, skiing, walking quietly and even while washing dishes. The key is to immerse yourself in the activity. Give it your whole attention. When you are performing your activity perform it to your best. Pay attention to details. Pay attention to your movement, to your limbs, to your breath, to your heartbeat, to you surroundings (smells, sights, physical sensations, noises and even tastes). If possible, don’t linger on one thing. However, it is perfectly ok to get lost in something. The moments of quiet clarity will come and go – do not be discouraged. Practice diligently and through repetition and improving skill you will eventually find the still part of your mind.    

So when you hear the benefits of meditation do not sigh longingly and despair at the thought of a sore posterior and nodding off in a temple. Instead, get up, get moving and find the mindfulness activity that will allow you your own brand of meditation! Let us follow the many successful leaders along the quiet and gentle mind’s path to our goals!  

Psst!

Psst!

©Scott D. Wilson 2014

Psst!  You… yeah you!  I have an amazing secret!  I know the simple trick to be happy and enjoy life on a regular basis!  Wanna know my secret?

Ok, well my secret is pretty simple. There are three essential keys to happiness and enjoyment that you should practice every day. I could summarize them for you but then you might miss the importance and subtleties of each part. So please indulge me as I reveal each element one at a time and explain their application an value. 

Key 1: Be Productive

Productive is a loaded word. What may seem productive to one may seem far less so to another. In this case I would define productivity by giving something back to the world. As an office worker you could be productive through the work that you get paid to do. As a stay at home parent you could view productivity through the activities that you do to make your home and family a blessing to your community. Remember to have a vision of the bigger picture and put yourself in it! If you are a secretary at a doctor’s office you are not writing a reports or filing papers, you are saving lives and healing people. The doctor could not do what he or she does without the efforts of his staff.

Think about the incredible Notre Dame cathedral in France; it took 182 years to build. Those who designed it never saw its completion. If the each person had simply seen themselves as a bricklayer or a carpenter then the work would have seemed dreary indeed, but if each could see how they were contributing to a masterpiece and a timeless work of art then how much better their labour would have seemed! 

Another image that comes to my mind on this matter is camping. When we go camping with our family we try to model and urge our kids to “Leave the campsite better than you found it.” We clean up rubbish and fix whatever things that we can fix. We owe this world so much it does not take much to give a little back. Do not limit productivity to your job or your career. You can be productive merely by smiling at everyone that you meet today. You personally will know that you have been productive if you can look back on what you have been doing during your time on this globe and see that somehow you impacted it and left it better than the way you found it! 

Key 2: Be Creative

Now right here I want to stamp out the notion that creativity and innovation is the property of the crafts and the fine arts. That is ludicrous! Every career and every occupation can employ invention and imagination. Whether you are a garbage man or a CEO you can be creative with your time. Being unique and novel in your approach to a job gives the activity colour and lustre. No matter what it is we can place our own distinctive signature upon it. Lack of creativity in any chore robs it of energy and makes it dull and grey. Any job can become repetitive drudgery no matter how interesting the work may be if we simply “put in time.” 

According to a study cited by Robert McGarvey in his work “Creative Thinking,” 84% of children in Kindergarten rank high in creativity, while 10% rank high in creativity in grade 2.  Unfortunately, our conventional education system has been shown to cause people to lose the ability to think in divergent or non-linear ways. We are literally robbing ourselves of our creativity! The good news is that no matter how young or old you are, you can still rekindle you flame of creativity. To start, be willing to experiment. Ask “What if…” and then try it! Seek to do things differently. Imagine innovative ways to perform daily duties. Whether it is how you brush your teeth to the way you write reports, try something new. An important thing to remember when you embark on your creative journey: Do not be afraid of making mistakes. Fear always withers imagination. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve.

Learn to observe yourself as you do things. Look at your habits. Some habits are good but learn to break habits and change routines. Observe your environment and learn from people and things that grow. Inspiration comes from everywhere and anywhere. We have lots of examples how great minds have been stimulated by simply paying attention to and being mindful of the world around them.

Key 3: Grow

Growth means change. Real personal change is generally scary. We are comfortable being just the way we are right now. Change usually involves unknowns and fear of the unknown is a universal human factor. Growing is generally uncomfortable and usually challenging. We need to change our boundaries and question our limitations in order to change constructively. For most of us, the concept of growing seems awkward. After all, aren’t we ‘grown-ups?’ We cringe remembering our teenage years and how awkward we were. Also for many, childhood was not a safe and nurturing period.   Imperfect parents struggling with their own demons can leave scars on us that make us anything but fond at the prospect of revisiting the concept of development.

To illustrate my point, imagine if you were a caterpillar who had been happily munching on leaves and lazily climbing along branches when one day someone comes to you and says that it is time for you to make a change. The individual further explains that you will need to find a safe spot away from any of your predators and you will need to build a cocoon that you will rest inside for a week or two. Finaly, you are told that when you emerge you will be a thin creature with six skinny legs and beautiful wings. You will elegantly fly from flower to flower drinking the nectar of the blooms. I don’t know about you but I’d be pretty freaked out by that story. I’d be telling this person “Thanks but no thanks!” Yet we know this change is natural and normal for a butterfly.

We are not butterflies but we are capable of personal metamorphosis. We see it every day in the heroes around us: the grandmother who got her bachelor’s degree, the teenager who started a charity for homeless kids across the world, or the addict who finally sought help and overcame their demons. Everyone can grow. All it takes is facing our fears and overcoming them little bit each day.

I encourage you to get uncomfortable every day. You can even sit down and write out a list of your fears and then see which ones you can take action to conquer. Your greatest dreams often lie waiting behind your daily fears. How many lost opportunities and regrets will it take for you to finally take a chance on something that you have imagined? I truly believe that so many of us have untapped potential that we fail to explore because we let the views of others and our own excuses get in the way. I, for one, do not wish to reach the end of my days with a heart full of “if only’s” and “I wish I had’s.”

A large part of growing is learning.  Never stop learning.  Whenever possible seek learning opportunities.  Teach yourself something new or make a discovery every day.  Learning helps keep us feeling young and vital!  It is a basic fact that once we stop learning that we stop growing.

Well, that’s it. My three keys for happiness are simple this:

Every day…

• Be Productive!
• Be Creative!
• Grow!

It is that straightforward. Ok, I admit it. I have one more key to happy and joyful living… Have fun! I only add this one here because I do not think that you can do all of the above every day without having fun. Perhaps I should simply state that fun is the catalyst that makes all the elements work! Sure you can do any one component on its own without having fun but I think that it takes fun to put them all together. So there it is: have fun! It may not be the meaning of life the universe and everything but I assure you that if you truly pursue these fundamentals of life daily that you will learn about yourself and your world. You will discover the extraordinary amidst the ordinary, and you will find your own unique path among the stars. I do not guarantee you a life free from trouble or sorrow but I can guarantee that you certainly won’t sleepwalk through your days. And to that end I wish you well in this incredible adventure that we call life!