Mindfulness, as in being in the moment, is great and all very buddhist. But it can also be a tool to help manifest the life we want to live.
Just in case you haven't yet heard, you are the one who determines how happy you are in life. From Buddha on down to the present, the world's biggest thinkers have all said the same thing. I've googled some of their quotes and sprinkled them through this blog as proof.
"Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it." - Maya Angelou
The most memorable quotes are the simplest like this one from Maya Angelou. But sadly, they are also the least useful. You see, in their simplicity, they leave out the key to manifesting change in your life.
"The universe is change, our life is what our thoughts make it." - Marcus Aurelius
No doubt these are great thinkers and, once you understand how manifestation works, their quotes offer useful reminders to guide our actions. But on their own, they are of little use in helping us understand exactly how we are supposed to manifest desired outcomes in our lives.
The Missing Key to Manifestation
How many times in your life have you prayed to some higher power to intervene in your life and help you out 'just this one time'? How many times has it worked? Maybe it is because we've come to expect instant gratification in so many areas, but we have somehow believe that asking sincerely just one time is the secret to success.
The reality is totally different. When the Buddha said "... we become what we think." He didn't mean just thinking it once. You see, Buddha had a lot of time on his hands to think. The time he spent meditating was kind of like a laboratory in which he could experiment with thought.
Over years of meditation he came to realize that, when he thought positively, good things happened. The opposite was also true. But his practical advise, his famous quotes, have been passed down through the ages by monks who live in monasteries and also spent a good portion of their lives in focused thought. So, just like in that game 'telephone' where children whisper something in each other's ears around a circle, something was lost in translation. That something was the key to success.
Probably the most useful quote on the power of positive thinking or the law of attraction comes from one of the leading motivational life coaches of our day.
"Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is exactly what you will experience in life." - Tony Robbins
The key is consistency and repetition. The universe isn't waiting for that single ask spoken with the most desperation or sincerity. It is acting on those of our thoughts that are most often repeated. The secret is to spend way more time in positive thought, envisioning your successful future than you spend doubting it.
Finding the Time to Use the Key
In order to use this new key, we need to create time in which to think positive thoughts. Sounds simple, right? But creating that time is tough because there are four huge forces competing for our time; work, loved ones, fear and screen time (tvs, phones, pads and computers).
For many, the idea of a 9 to 5 job is gone. Instead the flexible work day has meant working at any hour. This means instead of shutting work off at the end of the day, we are always alert for the email or phone call that brings us back to work mode. Work is a necessary part of life and it is not wise to seek to steal from work hours (and the pay they bring) to find time to think about life. So we will give work its due time.
God bless our loved ones because we depend on them for happiness. Be it kids, a new romance, family or pets - they get prioritized authority to take us away from any train of thought. Family and friends are one of the most rewarding riches of life. We owe it to ourselves, when we are with them, to be mindful in the way of being immersed in the moment. We'll look elsewhere for time for manifestation.
Fear is the biggest enemy to the achievement of any life goal. Lurking just below our consciousness, it is always ready to remind us that we are not worthy of happiness, incapable of achieving a goal or that we are a victim in life to which only bad things happen. If you aren't seeing the outcomes in life that you want, chances are, you are spending more time immersed in fear-based thoughts than you are envisioning success. We have to find the time to mindfully combat fear with intentional positive thinking.
There is nothing wrong with kicking back after a workday and relaxing in front of a TV. Many of us now work in front of a computer. Chatting with friends or sharing posts can also provide gratification similar to being with them. But combined screen time (including radio) is now the biggest consumer of time that could be spent in mindful thought.
We now spend 11 hours a day in front of a screen or listening to radio. - Neilson survey
Our phones now beep and buzz to get our attention when someone posts a silly meme. How many times have you stood in a line and noticed everyone in line was busy swiping their fingers across their phone screens. We listen to the radio an estimated 1 3/4 hour per day. We are engaged with apps on a phone or tablet almost 3 hours a day.
Surely, somewhere in that screen time we can find 15 minutes a day to spend thinking positive thoughts about our life goals.
So here is are a few tips to finding the time for mindful positive thinking:
Instead of surfing channels endlessly looking for the least bad thing to waste an hour watching, turn the TV off and close your eyes and picture what your life will be like if you achieve the goal in front of you.
When standing in line waiting for that coffee or morning sandwich, put your phone away, blur your vision, and think of how grateful you are for all the wonderful things in your life. Then envision yourself shattering that goal you've set.
The next time an app on your phone or tablet buzzes or beeps, ignore it and close your eyes and state clearly in your mind, "I am already successful at having achieved my goal, it is only a matter of time before that becomes apparent."
Mindfulness can be used as a practical tool if we give ourselves the time to focus on positive thinking.