How to increase your resilience: the rational approach

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If you want to pursue ambitious goals and protect yourself from discouragement, your best ally will be resilience, not luck. Numerous men and women start their careers full of enthusiasm, only to succumb to the first difficulties. The path leading to achievement seldom runs straight. When obstacles stand on the way, detours are inevitable.

An unbreakable psychology

A healthy psychology depends more on steadiness of character than on a sunny disposition. Wise men do not allow adverse circumstances to deter them. When they encounter obstacles, they use their creativity to find passage. They face difficulties with courage, avoiding wishful thinking and exaggerated optimism.

Their resilience is based on a realistic assessment of their possibilities and their constancy on the knowledge that perseverance can overcome disaster. Their prudence rests on their past experience of success and their alertness on the wish to seize opportunities.

Some individuals never get the blues and, if you adopt an entrepreneurial mentality in all areas of your life, you can become one of them. Initiative and creativity will help you in private and business matters, in your dealings with friends as much as in those with customers.

Can you increase your resilience as a way to prevent problems for the future? Is it possible to render yourself immune to low spirits? What steps can to take to get rid of fears and doubts? A steady temper is the consequence of a person's history and convictions. The former is influenced by chance, the latter determined by one's will.

How to increase your resilience

You need to use your rationality to develop your resilience. Those who think logically rarely fall prey to anxiety. If you view life in perspective, you will never be immobilized by depression. Keep your beliefs anchored in reality and your actions aligned with essential truths.

Individuals who possess a steady character tend to be persistent and entrepreneurial. If they ever worry, it will be only for the short time they need to change their course of action. They make the best of past mistakes and draw lessons for the future. Each of us can acquire the five elements that form their character, namely:

1. Assess situations calmly
 
First, a fair assessment of the impact of time on human affairs: In an era when most people expect to live at least 70 years, we should never allow adversity to sink our spirits. A man who has acquired a proper perspective of life does not get angry at inconveniences.

Provided that you have sensible goals, you have plenty of time to pursue them. Even though success is not guaranteed, your heart should remain confident and serene. Banish discouragement from your thoughts and commit yourself to developing a calm perspective.

2. Adopt a long-term perspective
 
Second, understanding the long-term benefits of consistent behaviour: Animals such as cats and dogs show occasional persistence, but cannot make plans and implement them consistently. Steadiness of purpose, a uniquely human characteristic, constitutes the foundation of serenity.

The pursuit of long-term goals multiplies the effectiveness of human action. Resolve turns prototypes into marketable products and transforms ideas into profitable businesses. Experienced managers know the advantages of keeping an unvarying course. If you place your goals above short-term adversity, you will be able to preserve your peace of mind.

3. Conserve your resources
 
Third, a desire to avoid waste and economize resources: Complaining to those who cannot solve our difficulties is a waste of energy and time. In contrast, people who draw lessons from past mistakes know how to concentrate their efforts on finding solutions.

The longer you conserve your resources, the faster you will overcome adversity. Individuals who protect their assets look confidently at the future. On the contrary, those who dilapidate their possessions fear the day when their luck will change.

4. Draw lessons for the future
 
Fourth, relentless curiosity and interest in learning: When unexpected events disrupt well-constructed plans, victims tend to react with irritation, condemning anyone who stands on their path. Their lamentations, however, have little effect on problems, except perhaps making them worse.

You can On the other hand, if you approach failure with curiosity, you will be able to draw invaluable lessons for the future. Innovators are individuals who have learned to view problems as questions and obstacles as delays. Opposition, instead of irritating them or making them stressed or anxious, makes them wiser.
 
5. Seek fresh opportunities

Fifth, a perception of the asymmetry of markets: The idea that life offers limited possibilities is false and brings about exaggerated concerns. If you are afraid of blowing your only chance, your obsession is likely to block your success.

Markets are asymmetric because opportunities come and go. Prices can be low today and high tomorrow. Customers often modify their tastes and preferences. Constant change is a source of endless possibilities. If you take this fact into account, you will be more alert to future openings in your field.

People who are well prepared for the future make the best of every hour. Positive circumstances advance their interests and negative events increase their knowledge. These persons have learned how to look ahead, prevent problems to the extent possible, and let time play in their favour.

Commit yourself to economizing resources and focus your efforts on promising initiatives. Pursue your goals single-mindedly and understand the long-term benefits of consistency. Prepare yourself for the future and acquire an unshakable serenity based on rational expectations.

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: photograph of ancient Roman temple; photo taken by John Vespasian, 2016.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books 

 
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Here are the links to five recent media interviews:

• John Vespasian interviewed by Ernest Hancock on "Declare your Independence" (USA) about thriving in difficult times.
• John Vespasian interviewed by Patrick Timpone on the "One Radio Network" (USA) about rational living.
• John Vespasian interviewed by Ann Beal in "Living Well" (USA) about Hippocrates and Ancient Greece.
• John Vespasian interviewed by Kate Mitchels on "Emotional Wisdom Training" (USA) about Hippocrates and Ancient Greece.
• John Vespasian interviewed by Emma-Jane Fry on "Someday to Nailed It" (UK) about rational living.

How to massively increase your productivity, success, and happiness

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The French use the word "nombrilism" in order to designate people who fail to see the big picture because they are focusing on their own navel ("ombril"); people who, instead of pursuing large goals, opt for thinking small and without system.

Of course, any attempt to achieve large goals by thinking small and without system is doomed to failure. There is no way that you can make major improvements by taking small, inconsistent steps. There is no way that you can turn your life around by means of little, uncoordinated tricks.

Some people find it impossible to accept that universal principles exist, and that they have always existed. In particular, the keys to productivity, success, and happiness have remained the same for centuries.

Universal principles

I am always reminded of this fact every time I take a tour of historical sites. Every time I look at vestiges of the past, the principles are always there, right before my eyes. Last week, while I was travelling through Spain, visiting medieval castles, churches, and monasteries, the Basilica of St Vincent in Avila (central Spain) made a deep impression on me.

Its construction started in the tenth century, but it took a hundred years before the building was finished. For this reason, the basilica bears witness to the transition between the Romanesque and Gothic styles. In addition, St Vincent's Basilica embodies the keys to productivity, success, and happiness.

Firstly, the basilica was built on solid rock, a decision that was not a coincidence, but the result of the events that, from the very beginning, led to the idea of putting up the building: In the third century AD, in the times of Emperor Dioclecian, Spain was a province of the Roman Empire, and following Dioclecian's orders, the local governor was carrying out a persecution of Christians.

Nonetheless, Roman legal procedure required that, when someone was accused of being a Christian, he had to be given the chance to recant his faith, and demonstrate his allegiance to the Emperor by making a sacrifice to ancient Roman deities such as Mars (the god of war) and Minerva (the goddess of wisdom).

That was exactly what happened to Vincent, a Spanish merchant who was known to be a devout Christian. Roman soldiers took him into custody, and required him to renounce his Christian faith. They told him that, if he refused to comply, he would be facing the death penalty.

While Vincent was in custody, he received a visit from his sisters, Sabina and Christeta. "You have to flee, Vincent," they urged him. "Otherwise, the soldiers will kill you." Vincent was reluctant to run away, but his sisters insisted. "We have paid off the guards, and we have brought horses. Come with us, and we will escape together."

Vincent and his sisters slipped away during the night, and used the horses to flee. However, the Roman soldiers began to chase them the next morning. Eventually, the soldiers captured Vincent and his sisters in Avila, tortured them, threw them off the city wall, and left their corpses lying on a rock at the bottom of a cliff. This is the rock upon which the basilica was built in the tenth century.

A solid foundation

If you visit St Vincent's Basilica in Avila today, you will still be able to see the rock. It stands in the crypt, right below the altar where the faithful have been celebrating mass for the last one thousand years. The rock provides the basilica with a clear purpose, a definite meaning, a solid foundation. Throughout the centuries, the rock has welcomed hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, and seen the basilica flourish. It has helped transform brutality into benevolence, and confusion into structure.

Similarly, your productivity, success, and happiness are dependent on your ability to build upon solid foundations. Without a consistent philosophy, there is no way you can attain high productivity because you will simply not know what to do. Without a clear purpose, there is no way you can determine which path to follow because you will simply not know your destination.

For this reason, it puzzles me that unprincipled people spend so much time looking for productivity tricks and short-cuts to success. In a way, they are trying to build a basilica by piling up stones at random. They are trying to put up a building without having any idea of what it should look like. Such attempts always fail miserably. No wonder that such people feel immensely stressed.

Having a rational, integrated philosophy is a prerequisite to high productivity. You need to know your ultimate goal. You need to know your life's mission. You need to know what you want, and why you want it.

A well-designed structure

Secondly, you need to build a well-designed structure, which is something that requires consistent efforts. Do you know what you are trying to achieve in life? Can you ensure that the decisions you make today are in line with your long-term objectives?

As soon as the basilica was finished in the eleventh century, the Bishop of Avila ordered the construction of a cenotaph to house the remains of Vincent and his sisters. The cenotaph was built by a team of local artists, following the Bishop's instructions: "I want you to illustrate Vincent's story by means of twelve scenes made of small sculptures," asked the Bishop.

The sculptures, only thirty centimetres high, were placed on the sides of the cenotaph, and painted in blue, yellow, red, black, and white, making them look almost alive. Since few people in the Middle Ages were able to read, the cenotaph proved a perfect complement to the basilica.

The Bishop ordered to place the cenotaph inside the building, to the right of the main altar, so that pilgrims could walk around the cenotaph, admire its sculptures, and learn the details of St Vincent's life. Precisely as the Bishop expected, the combination of cenotaph and basilica proved a lasting success. Both creations share the same purpose, carry the same message, and appeal to the same audience. They enhance each other's beauty, meaning, and reputation.

Sticking to your chosen strategy is the second key to increasing your productivity, success, and happiness. Like the Bishop of Avila did when he ordered the cenotaph, you must ensure that your actions are consistent with your purpose. You need to make sure that your decisions are integrated, focused, and aligned with your goals. If you do that, they will enhance each other, and multiply your results.

A clean board

Thirdly, you need to keep a clean board by having the discipline to say "no" to distractions, temptations, and interruptions. You need to clear your path of obstacles, so that you can keep advancing towards your goals.

The habit of keeping a clean board can dramatically contribute to your productivity. Your commitment to staying on track day after day can enormously enhance your results, and increase your peace of mind.

Unsurprisingly, St Vincent's Basilica also shares this trait. Since the Middle Ages, its right and left corridors have been kept free of furniture, so that pilgrims can walk freely, admire the cenotaph, and pray unencumbered.

A beautiful medieval anecdote confirms this point: When Pedro Barco, a hermit famous for his piety and wisdom, died in the early twelve century, his neighbours could not agree where to bury him. Two villages were claiming the right to have him interred in their church.

After some discussion, the neighbours agreed to let a mule determine where the hermit should be buried. For this purpose, they placed the hermit's corpse on the mule's back, and let the mule go its way. "Wherever the mule takes him, that's where we will bury him," they convened, expecting the mule to head for one of the two villages.

Yet, to everyone' surprise, the mule took to the main road, covered all the way to Avila, arrived at St Vincent's Basilica, went through the portal, continued unencumbered through the right-side corridor, stopped ten meters away from the cenotaph, and tapped firmly on the ground, indicating where the hermit should be buried.

Nine hundred years have passed, and Peter Barco's sepulchre still lies ten meters away from St Vincent's cenotaph; and the basilica's right and left corridors are still free of furniture, so that pilgrims can continue to walk unencumbered.

The rock that bears witness to St Vincent's story still stands in the crypt, naked and unadorned. The building and the cenotaph still keep conveying their original message strongly and clearly, like a man who has found his mission in life, and knows exactly what he is doing.

Next to Pedro Barco's sepulchre, there is a curved mark on the basilica's floor. If we believe the legend, it was a mule that made that mark nine centuries ago, a mule that knew exactly where it wanted to go, and how to get there; a mule that had instinctively figured out the key to productivity, success, and happiness.

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: Photograph of medieval sculpture; photo taken by John Vespasian, 2017.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books

 
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How the devil sets productivity traps for the unwary

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There's a short story by Leo Tolstoy about a farmer who was very poor, and who asked God for help. Soon after, the devil came to see the farmer, and offered him a deal.

“I will give you as much land as you want,” proposed the devil. “It is up to you to decide how much land you'll get. All you have to do is run as fast as you can, tomorrow, from dawn to sunset. All land that you'll traverse will belong to you at the end of the day.”

The farmer felt exceedingly happy upon hearing the proposal, and turned to planning what he was going to do the next day. He intended to cover as much territory as possible, but at the same time, he wanted to ensure that he would be running on fertile land.

At dawn, the farmer started to run. He didn't take with him any food or water because he didn't want to waste time taking a break for eating and drinking. He only had one day to make his fortune, and wanted to make the best of it.

No time to think

For the next hours, the farmer ran as fast as a reindeer on the prairie. However, when the sun was high in the sky, he began to grow tired. “Should I stop and get a drink?” he wondered. “Should I stop and get something to eat?”

Yet, he determined to keep on running, and continued the whole day without ever taking a break. Occasionally, he would slow down for a few minutes, but then remembered that the devil had promised him all the land he could traverse until sunset.

The whole afternoon, the farmer continued to run with a smile on his face, realizing that he had already covered more land that he would ever be capable of cultivating. However, he continued to run farther.

When the sun began to descend on the horizon, the farmer felt severe pain on his chest. He slowed down for second, and then stopped. “I am not feeling well,” he said. Next, he found it difficult to breathe, and felt the taste of blood in his mouth. And before he knew what was happening to him, he fell on the ground, and died of a massive heart attack.

So much for a productive day.

In the twenty-first century, we are not far different from Tolstoy's farmer. We run all day, and we are constantly looking for short cuts to do things faster.

Each day, new software applications become available with the goal of helping us answer additional emails, read documents faster, access our files day and night, and listen to audio recordings twice faster than the speed of human speech.

A frantic pace

Despite these innovations, our work has become increasingly frantic. Millions of people do not even take the time to have a proper lunch. Instead, they gulp down some pizza, drink soda, and munch some cookies on the go, so that they can keep running like Tolstoy's farmer.

Day after day, the scheme repeats itself in the name of high productivity, but is this really true? The problem is that some of those software applications are going to prove worthless because they just help us do at a higher speed things that we should not be doing in the first place.

Like it happened to Tolstoy's farmer, the appeal of better results can make us lose our sense of proportion. It can make us want more just for the sake of getting more, while we lose sight of our primary goals. It can make us want to do things faster, just for the sake of doing them faster, without actually thinking if we should be applying our energies elsewhere.

The danger of productivity traps is that they can push us further than we want to go because they make us forget the big picture. They make us forget that the real goal of productivity is not to do things faster, but to do the right things well at a sustainable speed.

If you think about it, we shouldn't want to do things that add little value to our lives, nor aim at working twenty-four hours a day. Least of all, we don't want to create useless work for ourselves by filing electronic documents that we will never have time to retrieve, let alone read.

The big picture

Such useless exercises remind me of the advice that Van Helsing, the vampire-slayer, received in Bram Stoker's novel “Dracula.” This is what a friend told Van Helsing:

“You were always a careful student, and your case-book was always fuller than the rest. You were only a student then, but now you're a master, and I trust that your good habits have not failed. Remember, my friend, that knowledge is stronger than memory.”

A friend was warning Van Helsing against the danger of paying too much attention to details, and forgetting about one's primary goal. Productivity traps produce the same effect. They make us devote efforts to tasks that seem urgent but that, in practical terms, deliver little value.

Like animals, we human beings are fascinated by shiny objects. Everything new, everything fresh, everything colourful attracts our attention, and makes us want to try it out.

Yet, if we want to be highly productive, we need to force ourselves to ignore shiny objects. We need to force ourselves to devote our energies to the areas where we can make a difference, to the areas that really count.

If you allow yourself to get carried away by productivity traps, you will end up like Tolstoy's farmer, getting a heart attack while you were trying to do something that you should not be doing in the first place.

Lack of consistency is what makes people get ensnared in productivity traps. People forget the primary purpose of their work. They forget their life's mission, and instead, they just keep working for the sake of working. As I explain in my books, without a consistent philosophy, nobody can make the right decisions. With coherent views, nobody can resist the appeal of productivity traps.

Already in the nineteenth century, Jane Austen put in the mouth of Elizabeth Bennet, the female protagonist of “Pride and Prejudice,” the conclusion that we should be mistrustful of anything or anybody that lacks consistency:

“There are few people whom I really love, at even fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense.”

Here is the answer

Consistency is the answer. If you keep the big picture in mind, you will not find it difficult to avoid productivity traps. If you possess a strong sense of direction, you will not find it difficult to discard unimportant things.

By sticking to your life's mission, you will be able to become immensely proactive without having to chase shiny objects that will eventually prove detrimental.

Highly productive people don't feel anxious or stressed. You will not see them pursuing shiny objects because they have long ago embraced the ideal that Walt Whitman presented in his work “The Poet.” If you want to be highly productive, you should also embrace this ideal:

“Nothing out of its place is good; nothing in its place is bad. He bestows on every object or quality its fit proportion, neither more nor less. He is the arbiter of the diverse; he is the key. He is the equalizer of his age and land. He supplies what wants supplying; he checks what wants checking.”

Let the ideal of consistency, simplicity, and balance guide your life. It will help you avoid worthless shiny objects and productivity traps, and hopefully, contribute to preventing an early death due to a massive heart attack.

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: photograph of classical painting; photo taken by John Vespasian, 2016.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books

 
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The dark side of minimalism – and how to make minimalism bright again

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Intellectual fashions are rarely perceived as dangerous until they have inflicted severe harm on their victims. This an unfortunate, but frequently observable aspect of human nature. Few people are willing to invest time in assessing the downside of their beliefs, and even fewer are willing to devote any efforts to preventing those risks.

The problem acquires a much larger dimension when intellectual fashions appear not only harmless, but beneficial; not only pleasant, but affordable; not only convenient, but also reputable.

Minimalism is a philosophical magnet that is attracting hundreds of new adepts per day because it looks harmless, inexpensive, and sophisticated, while in essence, it is nothing but decaffeinated Buddhism with a veneer of Stoicism.

Undoubtedly, millions of people today are looking for a philosophy to give direction to their lives. In doing so, these people are trying to embrace sustainable, understandable, and honourable principles.

Integrated ideas

A consistent philosophy constitutes an essential human need. However, one should not confuse chicken feed with proper human nutrition. Minimalism is chicken feed for the soul because it leaves major philosophical questions unanswered.

The dark side of minimalism is that it can render you less than human. If you choose to embrace the ideas that you only need a few things in life, that it's advisable for you to limit your ambitions, and that you should not try to do too much or travel too far, you are going to be restricting your chances of achieving complex goals.

Human happiness is all about exploiting your talents and possibilities. It's all about trying to achieve the best possible results with your life. Happiness is not about curtailing your dreams, limiting your vision, and rendering yourself as small as possible.

An added problem of minimalism is that it will tempt you to waste your skills. If you embrace minimalism after having spent years acquiring complex skills, you will be tempted to view those skills as useless, in the same way as Masha did, one of the main characters into Chekhov's play The Three Sisters. Here is what Masha said:

“Knowing two foreign languages in a small town like this is an unnecessary luxury. Actually, it is not even a luxury. It is rather a useless encumbrance, like having a sixth finger on your hand. Unfortunately, we have spent so much time learning useless things.”

A short-term remedy

This is the kind of internal dialogue that takes place in the minds of minimalists. Minimalism has made them discard everything that is not strictly necessary. It has made them discard things that are unusual, expensive, and ambitious. It has made them waste the energies they've invested in acquiring complex skills.

I view minimalism as a dangerous philosophy precisely because it is less than a philosophy. It is only a short-term remedy to reduce the anxiety of those who lack a structured, integrated, rational philosophy.

When someone embraces minimalism, he renounces his ambition to pursue complex goals, expensive pleasures, and major success. In a way, minimalism turns him into a bipolar paranoiac, like the main character in R.L. Stevenson's novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a character who is on the one side peaceful and friendly, and on the other side, a wild, free-ranging monster. At a certain point, the peaceful side wants to renounce the wild side, and says: “I cannot say that I care what becomes of Hyde. I am quite done with him.”

Simplicity and frugality

Let me though qualify my warning against minimalism. I have nothing against simplicity and frugality as such. In fact, I highly recommend them if they are exercised in the right philosophical context.

I regard as a great idea to simplify your life in order to free up your time to pursue major ambitions. I also view frugality very positively because it enables you to accumulate resources for undertaking major projects.

The rational purpose of simplicity is to enable you to pursue complex goals. The rational purpose of frugality is to enable you to accumulate resources for pursuing major ambitions. In the right philosophical context, the purpose of minimalism should be to free up your time and resources for doing great things, not for staying small.

The greatest danger of minimalism is that it can keep you waiting forever. It can make you so obsessed with staying small that you will stop trying to do big things. It can put your ambitions, plans, and creativity on hold just for the sake of keeping yourself constrained.

Delaying your initiatives is not the right way to live. If you spend your life waiting, you'll render yourself less than human. If you use minimalism to delay your ambitions, you will be doing yourself a great disservice because, as Shakespeare put it in his play Henry IV: “delays have dangerous ends.”

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: photograph by John Vespasian, 2014.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books

 
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Daily meditation: what works and what doesn't -- my practical recommendations

 

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In 1422, Bernardino of Sienna was facing a disastrous situation. The plague had wiped out half of the monks in his monastery. To make things worse, the crop had been lost, partly because of insufficient cultivation, partly because of an unusually harsh winter. The monks that had survived had no resources, no energies, and no motivation to go further.

Those still alive were looking at Bernardino, hoping that he would be able to figure out a solution. He was the spiritual magnet that had attracted them to the Franciscan Order, prompting them to abandon parents, friends, and possessions. He was the fountain-head from which they had always been able to draw strength in times of trouble.

A source of strength

To everyone's surprise, Bernardino did not convoke a chapter to discuss the situation. He also didn't provide any instructions, explanations, or words of encouragement. Instead, he just announced that he needed to be alone for a while in order to meditate. "I will be back in two weeks," he said, before walking out of the monastery, headed for the nearby woods.

Bernardino spent the next weeks in solitude, thinking about the challenges he was facing. During that period, he drew nourishment from wild fruits, drank water from the Arno river, and slept in an improvised shed.

When Bernardino returned to the monastery, he was saluted sombrely by John Capistrano, the monk who had taken up Bernardino's functions during those two weeks. "Did you find an answer?" asked John Capistrano. Bernardino nodded. "When I meditate, I always find answers," he replied, "and these are answers I could not find by reading a hundred books."

Letting the answers find you

In fact, what Bernardino had accomplished through meditation was not so much finding the answers to his problems, but letting the answers find him. He had made himself ready to see the invisible, ready to let solutions take shape before his eyes, ready to overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable. He had allowed nature to speak to him, and point him in the right direction.

"Letting the answers find you" constitutes the perfect definition of meditation. Instead of exerting pressure, you create conditions that render pressure unnecessary. Instead of pushing for decisions, you let them emerge naturally. Instead of agonising about the future, you trust that the right process will always deliver the right results, given enough time.

Through the years, my attitude towards meditation has evolved from total scepticism to daily practice. This evolution however is not the result of a philosophical revelation, but of trial and error. It is the result of acknowledging what works and discarding what doesn't.

Identifying the principles

"In order to learn, you need to accumulate, but in order to understand, you need to simplify," observed Lao-Tzu. His words provide us an accurate description of the meditation process. The whole point of meditation is to grasp the principles, patterns, and structures that shape our lives; to draw practical conclusions from a multiplicity of facts, intuitions, and emotions; to become better, more effective human beings.

Yet, my daily practice of meditation has only served to increase my suspicions towards grandiose pronouncements about "becoming one with the universe" and "understanding that we are all one."

My approach to meditation may be viewed by many as unorthodox, but that's too bad for them: I find proven success more convincing than grandstanding. I prefer a solid track record in problem-solving to the possession of arcane knowledge.

If you are practising meditation in the traditional Eastern style and it's not working for you, you may want to take a look at my unorthodox methods:

• instead of meditating in a yoga position, put on some comfortable shoes, and take a one-hour walk.
• instead of emptying your mind and controlling your breathing, carry with you a brief list of the main issues you are facing, and focus your thoughts on those.
• instead of looking for solutions to problems, seek only to formulate the questions accurately, and then let the answers find you.
• instead of meditating only at certain times during the week, take breaks every day at irregular intervals, enjoy a cup of herbal tea, and meditate for ten minutes.
• instead of demanding immediate results from your meditation sessions, accept the fact that the benefits will be non-linear, benefits such as gaining deep insights at unexpected moments, and coming up with creative solutions to problems while you are performing unrelated tasks.
• instead of meditating about little things, focus your reflections on big principles, big patterns, and big structures; ignore irrelevant details, and concentrate on essential traits and large commonalities.
• instead of following a meditation routine, explore different set-ups and sequences to see which one works best for you; do not pay attention to people who claim that their meditation method is the best for everybody.

Anyone who has read my books won't be surprised to hear that I regard beneficial meditation and a consistent philosophy as indissolubly linked. I don't think that you can have one without the other.

Meditation -if understood and practised as intense, quiet thinking- will render you happier and more successful, if only because it will improve the quality of your decisions and actions. As Longfellow put it so beautifully in his Psalm of Life: "Not enjoyment and not sorrow is our destined way, but to act so that tomorrow finds us further than today."

Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com

Image: photograph of classical painting; photograph taken by John Vespasian, 2016.

For more information about rational living, I refer you to my books

 
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