{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F1a45447b-20c4-4146-ad44-d11062ebb47f","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Massively Transformative Habit: Renewing of The Mind","description":"
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\n“He who conquers his mind conquers the world.” – Zeno
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\nI\u2019ve quoted that sentence out loud and in my head more times than I can possibly remember. It\u2019s something I strive to be able to do. Of all the things I can manage, my mind is the one I want the most power over.
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\nThe fact is, the mind is under constant attack. The Matrix is always vying for a position in the space between our ears\u2014telling us what to want, how to live, who to like, how to act.
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\nThe Bible reads in Romans 12:2, \u201cDo not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.\u201d
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\nThe process of renewing our mind must be a daily ritual. A practice like taking a shower or putting on clothes. Our mind is constantly gathering bits of information, trying to store them and use them. This data becomes filters by which we see and act upon the world outside our mind.
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\nThe only way we can keep our thoughts clear and controlled is to go through a renewal process each and every day. The Stoics were constantly reminding us how little we can actually control in this world. However, they were also quick to remind us we can, in fact, control our mind. This, in turn, determines how we react to those things we cannot control.
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\nThe habit of transforming one\u2019s mind daily can become a superpower. The best time to begin the practice is before the needed reaction is present. Let\u2019s discuss.
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\n**Meditation**
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\nMeditation is something that took me years to adopt. First, it was because I just didn\u2019t get it. I didn\u2019t scoff at it, but I thought it was for people who were a little more woo-woo than me. Then one day I was influenced by this Austrian bodybuilder who convinced me to give it a try.
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\nIt was around 2005 or so, and I was listening to the Tim Ferriss Show\u2014a place where I\u2019ve gotten some of my best life hacks over the years. Tim was interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger. First, I was amazed that the relatively new podcaster who was actually known for writing the 4 Hour Workweek had scored such a huge guest\u2014both physically and figuratively.
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\nArnold started talking about how he had found success in his life as a businessman\u2014first as a real estate investor and then as a bodybuilder and finally a movie star. He discussed how in his first years in LA he began practicing meditation.
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\nHe and Tim then went on to riff on the benefits of sitting silently and focusing on your breath. I have to admit, I was completely influenced by a movie star. If Arnold did it, maybe I should, too. So began my meditation practice.
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\nI downloaded an app\u2014I think it was Headspace, and started meditating based on their beginner\u2019s tract.
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\nThe thing that struck me at first was how difficult it was. I kept asking myself, \u201cAm I doing this right? Aren\u2019t I supposed to conjure up some out-of-body experience? This can\u2019t be right? Do I really like these underwear? I wonder what year Mr. Griffin, my third-grade science teacher died? This can\u2019t be right.\u201d
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\nMy monkey brain is a maniac. Trying to get it to shut up and let me be seemed an impossibility. Then I got permission. Permission for what, you ask? Permission to stop trying. That\u2019s right. The best advice I ever got for meditating was to stop trying to meditate.
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\nI don\u2019t remember who gave me permission, but I\u2019m grateful nonetheless. Here\u2019s what I learned. There is no meditating the right or wrong way. Here\u2019s another thing. There is no magical length of time to meditate. I used to think if I only went for 5 minutes, I hadn\u2019t meditated at all. That\u2019s not true. The fact is there are no rules to meditation. You just do it.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/0f098923-7936-4114-90f4-b75bbfe76249/black-and-white-man-portraits-arts-culture-podcast-cover-1.png"}