Why struggle through life?

What do you want from life?

Do you want to struggle, to strain, to push and to stress?

Or do you want to be calm, clear, and content, simply enjoying each and every moment?

So many people live a struggle. Why?

The first thing to realise is that you do it to yourself.

Why do you do it to yourself?

Not having the right understanding is one reason.

“I need to get rid of my “to do” list, and then I can relax. Then I can find happiness, or peace, or satisfaction.”

“I need to get something, when I have that thing - the new job, the car, the relationship - then I will be happy.”

You believe happiness is a result. And so you struggle to get what you think will lead to happiness.

Happiness is not a result.

Perhaps you might say happiness is a reaction. More true is that happiness, peace, satisfaction is a state of mind.

It is an internal way of responding to all of life. Everything.

Now - It can be uncaused. It doesn’t require anything.

Be happy, be at peace, be satisfied; then go and live and do.

You can learn this, you can choose for this. It is so simple, so easy to live a life filled with joy and satisfaction.

It’s just that your habits, your self-talk, your story are all a handbrake; a handbrake to your own happiness.

The fact is you don’t need to struggle to get what you want, to be happy.

Learn to be happy for no reason at all, then the whole world will make you overjoyed.

Tis the season to be jolly after all.

"My own bad habits are my biggest problem"

I was speaking with some people earlier in the week and was asking what was the biggest source of stress for them.

Someone very perceptive piped up with “my own bad habits”.

For her it was eating at her desk - not taking a proper break for lunch, or any breaks throughout the day.

On a mission - working and working, pushing through.

Effective? No. Constant busy-ness isn’t. Nor is it enjoyable.

I'm not going to soften this one: Your biggest problems are caused by your own actions and choices.

You know what your own bad habits are. The ones that mean that you don’t do the things that you need to do to look after yourself.

All of them - not taking breaks, not doing absolutely anything for a spell or two throughout the day, trying to multitask, not getting enough quality sleep, not exercising, not eating well, not meditating.

All of them are about trying to do too much and not nurturing yourself.

The thing is - they all seem like small compromises at the time.

You can get away with bad habits for a few days, a few weeks, someone people go for months and years even, but it creeps up on you.

Before you know it you’re exhausted, irritable, not able to think straight. You get caught in emotional moods, you snap quicker with less choice… life just seems harder.

Where did the joy go?

It seems like life just gets more and more difficult.

Nope, it all comes from you. It is your own bad habits that make life hard.

Especially in this busy time leading up to Christmas, make sure you look after yourself.

Do what you need to do so life is smooth and simple.

You may be busier, but take breaks, regularly.

Be present - stop trying to multitask. If you’re making a cup of tea, make a cup of tea. If you’re on the phone, be on the phone.

Stop throughout the day and be grateful for something, to someone - out loud.

Stop throughout the day and just take 5 deep - and I mean deep, slow, smooth - breaths.

Stop throughout the day and close your eyes - meditate!

It’ll give you clarity and rest. A sense of calmness, of perspective and acceptance. You can deal with everything when it’s in perspective.

There’s an old saying that says when you are busy, meditate. When you are really busy, meditate twice as long.

You deserve to enjoy your life, fully.

See how you get in your own way, and stop.

Keep it simple. You know what to do - you just have to do it.

Here's the key to being surrounded by cool people

What I love is belonging - I’m not sure if that’s the right word - but knowing, being a part of a group of people that have a common purpose and a common outlook on life.

Now, I get to be with a lot of happy, stress free people. People who really want to squeeze everything they can from life. I have some very inspiring friends. Very, very funny too.

It wasn’t always like this. Especially when I was young I used to feel super alone.

It took a while to find “my people”. But only because it took me some time to work out what was important to me. It took a while to work out how I wanted to live my life.

When I worked that out it was easier to track down the people I wanted to spend more time with.

Finding these people didn’t happen by accident; I also realised if you want to find your “tribe”, sometimes you just got to create it.

Giving what you want is a great start.

You want support and humour and understanding and inspiration?

Be that. Give that to others.

They’ll give you back in kind.

You help create the people around you. Your attitude, your actions, your concern, your inspiration. All of that means you get to enjoy belonging, to being a part of something.

If you don’t believe me, try it out with your closest. Give what you want. Not to expect any change, but just because.

In this, knowing your mind and your bad habits is super valuable. Become aware of what your mind is telling you. The simplest way I know of becoming more conscious and aware is learning and practicing the Bright Path Ishayas' Ascension.

Think of it as your total tonic for calm, clarity, contentment and inspiration. Being aware of your choices so you can make them freely.

Life is too short to live it half arsed.

The secret to never getting stressed

Do you know anyone who doesn’t get stressed?

Over anything?

The secret to never getting stressed is a simple one.

It’s not that these people don’t care, it’s not that anything isn’t important to them, it’s just that they know what the absolutely most important thing is to them.

What is the most important thing to you?

Keeping that as a priority means that nothing is worth losing that important thing.

Nothing is worth stressing over.

Those people who don’t seem to get stressed?

They know this.

They have a sense of perspective.

They know when to give up and let go.

They would rather be happy than right.

They know life can only be lived right now.

They know how to do one thing at a time.

They know life is too short to struggle, to get stressed.

All these things means they laugh a lot more - when things don’t go according to plan, when they do something silly.

Can you do these?

Yes, yes you can.

It’s just a matter of practice.

Meditation gives you the ability to do all these things.

To enjoy this moment fully.

To not get stressed.

To put things in perspective.

To laugh a lot more.

Have you meditated today?

If you don't know how, just sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Notice the breath. If you like count them up to 10, then start again. Or notice your thoughts - count them as well if you like.

If you know how to Ascend you have it so easy. I promise.

You don’t realise how good you have it when you know the Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension.

You just have to do it.

Regardless - Be present - be here, now. It’s the only way to live.

Honestly.

And it’s only a matter of practice.

Questions? Let me have them. I'm here to help.

When to give up

I just returned home from a marathon trip away teaching. It’s been amazing, meeting up with so many wonderful people. But it is lovely to be home. So nice to be with the fiancee, even though she has an awful cold and I have to be on the couch to get any sleep. But I'd rather that than any hotel room.

So good too to do nothing for a whole day. Just whatever we want.

In my travels I talked to a wonderful lady whose husband had died of cancer some years ago. She was saying how hard it was for her to just get up and get out of the house to do something, anything instead of wallow.

It took her real energy and courage to get dressed and walk out the door and join other people. Yet it was something she committed to doing, consistently.

The thing that struck me too was how, occasionally, she gave herself permission to give up. To not join in. To get to the front door, dressed up and car keys in hand, and then to turn around and just stay at home.

There’s a great balance to be had in absolutely committing to an action and following through and yet also on those days when you just really don’t want to, just not doing.

I’d been committed to writing to you guys almost everyday, and then over the last few days I just really needed a break from doing anything.

So I took it.

Recharged I now feel. 

Sometimes you just got to take a break, from your own expectations, and from the world’s.

For a couple of days, or a day. For half a day. Even just for ten minutes. Whatever you can get.

Do you take enough time for yourself?

If you know how to Ascend you can squeeze a lot of recharge into ten minutes. Done every day it’s a life saver.

Next retreat course here in Richmond - close to the train line - is 5-7 February, perfect for a recharge after Christmas. But I also got a plan for something really great in the New Year too. I’ll let you know when I work out the details.

Until then, enjoy!

Have a great weekend.

Relationship advice from a willing amateur

What I know about relationships is little. In relationships matters I am a complete amateur. A willing amateur though - I realised some years ago that people didn't have good relationships by mistake, or even destiny.

They, like all things, require work.

Good news though. Amateur though I remain, I’ve been looking at this one for a while,

studying, observing and taking notes,

and this is what I reckon contributes to a good relationship with your partner, with anyone. Even the shopkeeper down the road.

These are the things that I need to do to make sure I have a great relationship.

I'm sure there are more, but here's what I got this morning:

- taking time out every day to close my eyes and Ascend - or meditate. If you don’t know how, it can be as simple as sitting comfortably for 10 minutes and noticing your breath.

- making sure I get enough sleep at night

- exercising regularly

- doing my deep breathing practice

- being consistently, actively and outwardly grateful for all the people and things in my life

- doing the things that make me happy and excited about life

- choosing to be content; making this the basis for all things

- knowing that only I can make myself happy.

You see, when I’m functioning well, the relationship functions well. Hmmm… Interesting, huh?

Then comes nurturing the relationship:

- being active in making sure it’s going well, that it’s growing

- making sure my fiancee knows how much I love her. Going out of my way to appreciate who she is and what she does. Doing that as much as possible.

- supporting her to do the things that make her happy and excited about life

- when it comes to things that annoy me, before I open my mouth making sure it’s “big” enough to worth mentioning. Why criticise when it is just something I can get over?

- but communicating as soon and as clearly as I can when I really need to say something. and then letting it go, completely.

- communicating, and then communicating some more.

- giving her my full attention when she wants to talk

- allowing her to be herself, completely and absolutely.

- spending time together, every day, just chatting.

- setting aside date nights, scheduling them if need be

- giving and giving and then giving some more

I'm sure there's more you can come up with, but basically any relationship has the common denominator as you.

You can do so much to nurture any relationship. It just requires the willingness to give completely, and talk, and have fun.

As my brother sagely once commented; "Happy wifey, happy lifey".

Simple then!

Good luck.

Everyone's biggest problem

Everyone’s biggest problem? Trying to become something else.

Hustling. Trying. Straining. Not sitting comfortably at all.

Yes, do and set goals, chase dreams, I’m not talking about that.

I’m talking about two things.

The first is being content now.

A fine skill to have, to appreciate this exact moment, exactly as it is.

To do, but not to put happiness in the future.

The second is the idea that you need to be something else - something you’re not.

To some degree so many people have the belief that they aren’t good enough.

Do you see that in yourself?

That right now, exactly as you are, you’re not enough in some way - there’s something wrong.

It manifests in not doing the things that you want, in not saying the things that you need, in trying to present some kind of image that you think others will find “acceptable”.

That to gain success and/or approval you must rein in your personality and be “professional” or whatever the term is for being safe and a bit boring.

Sure, there is room to be pleasant and to be positive. But change your personality in case someone takes it the wrong way?

Yikes.

Be you!

Don’t present an image. Trying to be something you're not is a path to misery.

Find a way to be totally content and totally ok with you.

Because you are. Totally. And it makes being content so much simpler.

You realise you need nothing else to be happy.

And then everything makes you happy.

Ahh. Happiness all around.

How three feet of madness can throw my mojo

Got to say that I started off struggling this morning. Not that feeling of fighting for breath that I used to get back in the day, more of an attempting to cling to what I used to know.

You see the fiancee and I are staying with her cousin and her three little kids.

Peace and quiet that I used to have?

Haha! Woken at dawn by little monsters turned all the way up to eleven.

New people in the house!! Use them as a trampoline!

Now I have arisen, and the sun is coming up, all I can do is sip my coffee and wait for the internal engine to get going so I can catch up.

Until then, acceptance seems to be the way forward. Resistance is futile. Join the madness as soon as I can.

Something to be said for just giving in to what is.

Makes it easier.

Those thoughts of “this should not be happening to me” become so irrelevant because, well, it is.

It is happening to me.

You can’t always control the situations and circumstances you are faced with, but you can control your reaction to them.

I can speak my peace: “No, not on my head”, but it’s all gotta be based on acceptance. With what is right in front of me.

Not on the plan that I had of sleeping in and getting a little bit of Ascension meditation time.

That is well gone.

Your choice - and a sense of peace - lies right there.

At that point, right there, your life is simple, or full of struggle.

If you have kids, I take my hat off to you. They may well be the greatest Teachers in the world.

Are you good at "wait and see"?

If you are anything like me, you used to just “wait and see”, all the time. I never had the courage to put my hand up and ask that question, even though I really wanted to know the answer. Was a little shy.

I would “wait and see” if someone else would ask, or the speaker would cover my question later.

I would “wait and see” if someone else would express the opinion I had, just to be on the safe side, just to make sure I was right.

I would just let it slide when someone was arrogant or rude or wrong. I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter, I was the better man, when actually it ate me up inside.

Got quite angry and frustrated from just not saying the things I needed to.

I know it takes courage to say and do these things, but for your own sanity, you have to.

Regret and missing out hurts more than a temporary hit to the shame.

I don’t think you’re ever going to be free of the need for courage.

You just get better at taking a gulp and jumping - doing what you need to do.

And why not?

Be clear on all those thoughts that are behind "wait and see" or it's good friend, "I'm not ready yet".

Readiness? Good enough sometimes has to be good enough. Otherwise nothing gets done.

Do not read this, you have better things to do

Stop thinking about it and just go and do it There have been so many times in my life when I’ve thought so much about doing something, and then never actually done it.

There were so many things. So many plans and ideas, so many adventures, so many paths to run down and I let the chance slip away.

There’s something to be said for acting on inspiration. For doing, and then course correcting as you go.

Thinking about it, planning it down to the last detail, well, it’s just a postponing and delaying tactic isn’t it?

You’re delaying because actually you don’t yet have the courage.

When I was a younger fellow I was pretty shy. There was a girl I liked and just never got enough courage to go and talk with. I would sit there all night nursing my drink but never actually going and really talking with her. Planning lines and strategies and just getting more and more nervous and never actually doing anything.

Ever had something similar? Yes, you have.

Sometimes you just have to pounce. In an entirely appropriate way, of course.

I would say there is at least one plan or an idea within all of us that we are waiting “until conditions are perfect”, until we know for sure, until actually we get enough courage.

What is that idea for you?

Why not begin it today?

And if not now, when?

Expect the fear and do it anyway.

Embark, set sail!

What did I tell you? Stop reading, and start doing that thing...

- Arjuna

___________________________ How to be mentally fit, fluid and free www.arjunaishaya.com

When everything is taken away, what is left?

Someone asked me what learning the Bright Path Ishayas' Ascension gave me. I thought it was a funny question, maybe I was feeling cheeky, but what I told her was this:

Nothing. Learning to Ascend gave me nothing at all.

But took away so much.

It took away the doubt and the worry.

It took away thinking so much about everything.

It took away the OCD of checking and rechecking that my front door or car door or office door was actually locked.

It took away the self-sabotage, the thinking I couldn’t do it so I didn’t start.

It took away the fear of failure, of not doing it right, of the world coming crashing around my ears any moment now.

It took away everything that was interfering with me being myself and enjoying all of life.

In that it did gave me the ability to be free and easy and ok exactly as I am.

Interesting huh?

You are the same - you need nothing. You have everything you need already within you.

The best version of you is already there.

You just need to be it.

You need a way of leaving the interference behind.

Finding a way to regularly be that best version of yourself is incredibly important.

Living with limitation is just half a life.

The habits of the mind are the only thing stopping you. They are the only handbrake.

All of your negative patterns come from just thoughts - they don’t have to be real. They can be just an option.

If you look at them clearly, you will have choice over them.

Practice, that’s it. Habits are just something you’ve done several times. Make another habit. Practice being something else.

Be present, come and exist in the same place as your body. There you can thrive.

You need to do so little.

You don’t need to fix anything, just choose to be alive and present, here and now.

Job done.

Personally I would learn to Ascend. It makes everything so easy. It makes being the best version of yourself the natural thing.

You deserve to have everything that is not you taken away, forgotten about.

Start now, and keep going. You'll find it so rewarding. So inspiring. So enjoyable.

You come alive.

Where is the biggest handbrake on your own life?

Did you know that the biggest hand brake on your life lives within your own head? It’s your own thoughts and beliefs that cause you all your suffering, all your doubts, all your worries.

You want to live the best life possible?

You need to closely examine what your own head is telling you.

What if that thought wasn’t true?

What if the opposite was true?

And how are you going to know unless you try?

Your thoughts are holding you back.

Get super clear on what is in your own head and how that relates to the life you want to live.

At some stage you are going to realise that your thoughts are not real, they aren’t a good indicator of the truth.

They are the ghosts of your past - your parents, your family, your friends, your teachers, your coaches, your own paranoias and judgements, whispering in your ear.

They can be just an option. Just one idea. An interpretation.

Your thoughts are limited, by nature.

Find a way to let them go, let them be. Find the life that comes from beyond your thoughts, beyond your mind.

There lies pure inspiration and intuition.

A life lived there is a constant discovery of the limits of your own life. You are constantly expanding, growing, becoming bigger and bolder, and more humble, understanding and loving.

It’s not for the faint-hearted.

There’s an old saying about the only free cheese is the cheese in the mousetraps, and the mice there ain’t happy.

But you’re not here for free cheese. Or the traps.

Have a grand day. Take it easy. Easy does it.

The reason why I don't do blog comments

I love helping people, and I love getting appreciation as much as the next person. But sometimes people get their knickers in a twist and just blah over you. It’s all over Facebook and the internet - opinions.

And I don’t really need more opinions. I haven’t got enough time, seriously. I have a few people who are super clear who I run things past when I need to check, and that is it.

I know I’m not going to make all the people happy all the time. And in fact, I may just annoy some. Hopefully I will annoy some of you regularly. Even make you a little bit angry.

You see if I’m not, then I’m not doing my job properly.

Every time I’ve gotten angry with something someone said to me - it was all because I realised they were right and I was I compromising. Sitting too comfortably.

Their words gave me a kick up the bum right at the perfect time, and the emotional response was all part of that.

It got me where I was keeping something safe and personal and not prepared to see clearly.

The reaction was always a “screw you, it is all someone else’s fault - I don’t need to change”; always straight from the ego.

So if something I say makes you angry, makes you annoyed, gives you some kind of emotion… Excellent. See what there is for you in that. See why.

There is all the growth in the world for you, taking responsibility for your own reactions, seeing your part in any struggle.

And that’s the people I want to talk to, that’s why you’re here.

If you don't want to be provoked, to look and see, just go somewhere else. Find an opinion that matches yours.

I’m not interested in doing battle, and that’s why I don’t do blog comments.

Life is too short to worry about other people’s opinions. Not to be arrogant, but just know that sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do without worrying what everyone thinks.

Take it easy, and have a fine day.

Do you have a choice?

Do you have a choice? I would say yes, absolutely.

In fact, I would say Life itself is your choice. It is made up of everything that you have chosen.

Sometimes it’s easy to blame someone else for things in your life - the results of your choices. But life becomes incredibly simple and clear when you take responsibility for all of it.

Granted, it's not an easy step to take because you can no longer blame anyone else. But then the rewards are all yours - life comes fully into your hands.

What choices might you want to make?

1. Choose to accept

If you can’t change or leave a situation, you must accept it. Complaining about it is as useful as hitting your own head against the wall.

2. Choose how you react

You aren’t so much in control of the situations in your life, but you are in control of your reactions. Choose how you want to react. There lies free choice.

3. Choose your attitude

See the glass as half full, choose to appreciate, to be grateful. Choose to see the silver lining. Choose to define your own version of success.

4. Choose to be present and very alive

Show up for life. Be very present - alive to the essence of this moment. Learn to meditate, learn the Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension. Then practice it, regularly!

5. Choose to have 200% of life

Be completely balanced. Be calm, clear and centred, and productive, effective and filled with enjoyment in all aspects of your life.

6. Choose to have a blast!

Have fun, keep the peace.

As always, if you need anything, I'm here.

The one thing you must do if you don't meditate

A good meditation practice will bring you everything you want and need for a foundation for the best possible life.

It is so simple. Just close your eyes, breathe, do nothing, absolutely nothing.

It could be as simple as just stopping every now and then. Becoming truly present and open to this moment. Alive to now. And then carrying on.

Removing yourself from the drama of all the urgent things you have to do, centring yourself, getting clear, and carrying on from this new collected place.

But we love to complicate things. We love to postpone.

You don’t do the simple things that bring you the best results.

Well, if you never ever meditate, if you can’t be bothered learning and practicing the one thing that will change your life for the better …

… well, the other crucial thing you could do is develop your mindset.

Your perspective, your attitude.

Choose to see the good, the glass as half-full.

Choose to curb the harsh negative self-talk, choose to be optimistic, choose to find a way.

My medieval friend Meister Eckhart was bang on the money when he said “if the only prayer you say is thank you, it will be enough”.

Even if you just are grateful more often, your life will become richer and fuller. You will be less stressed, less tied up in the small things, less pulled down by life.

It is so simple, so ridiculously simple, and so easy to scoff at.

You don’t have to change or put on a persona, just be thankful.

Find nice things to say and do for the people around you.

Do it!

Make today about being aware of what your thoughts are doing. Cultivate more gratitude and appreciation in response.

Be active with this.

Like with anything, if you keep doing the same things, you’re just going to get the same results.

Okay?

Awesome.

Meditation is your natural state...?

Did you know that the meditative state is your natural state?

I know… hard to believe.

But not the state you might think of, the one where the guy with a bald head and saffron robes is crosslegged on the floor in a cave.

But the state of being totally alive.

Totally aware. Completely at ease. Calm, centred, capable.

Free of drama, struggle, self-doubt.

Free of regret and worry.

If it is your natural state to be like this - then it should be natural to live like this continually, no?

It is just a habit not to.

Just a habit.

The practice to get back to it?

That’s right - closing your eyes, and meditating.

You don’t have to sit on the floor, be comfortable. If you can’t be comfortable you’ll be thinking about your body all the time, and that’s a pain.

Give yourself ten minutes and simply observe everything.

If you wish, try gently noticing the breath as it comes in and out, in and out.

Fight nothing, resist nothing, accept and allow everything.

If how you meditate isn’t working - don’t throw the baby out with the water.

Not all meditation techniques are created equal.

Find a teacher who is alive and at peace.

Get them to teach you a quality tool.

I think you know what I would suggest …

I would personally learn the Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension, except I’ve already learnt.

No matter.

Take ten minutes for yourself. You will come to love it.

Why not start today?

Lessons from the Army’s bomb disposal team about stress

Midway through a three day course with some bomb-disposal guys from the British Army.

This is my third course with their regiment, and guess what?

It’s not even funded by the government. The bomb-disposal charity the Felix Fund are putting up the cash. Good on them.

Anyhow, what did I learn about stress?

Well, I knew it already, it’s just cool to hear it again.

They love their jobs.

They love it when they have a bomb to take apart. The whole part, sirens, cordoning off the scene, assessing, blowing it up if needed (they have their fingers crossed for this option), everything.

Same when I taught a paramedic to Ascend. I asked her how she liked her job. Her eyes got as big as saucers as she said “I LOVE IT!”

You know what causes the most stress?

Paper work, menial pointless jobs, not doing the things that they love.

And assessments.

Isn’t that funny? No chance of personal harm, just of failing.

The chance of failing causes more stress than dying.

They’ve done the real thing so many times, yet put someone with a clipboard to watch them and it creates havoc.

Do you see the obvious lesson here?

It is never the situation that causes stress, it is always your reaction to it.

Your reaction is the source of all stress.

You can’t control the situation - sometimes you’re just given a pile of poo.

But you can control your reaction. You can learn to react differently. You can choose to not be stressed.

You can choose to be calm in the face of intensity, even enjoy it.

It’s a fine line between enjoyment and stress, but it can become wide and obvious.

Now, either you don’t know how to choose not to be stressed,

Or, you don’t prioritise it.

Chances are it’s a bit of both.

It’s a skill you can develop, I swear.

You know where to find out what you need. When you’re ready just hit reply and ask, or head here:

www.thebrightpath.com or www.findpeace.co.uk

Why the Army are learning to meditate

I love my life.

Just had a fine weekend - taught a Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension course to a full house.

I love knowing that it doesn’t even matter how well I teach - if someone practices the techniques they are going to have so much come to them.

An end to struggle, stress, self doubt and self-sabotage?

I’m not sure what could be better than living life without such a load.

Ascension just gives you everything you need to rise above all of this, so simply, so effortlessly, it’s ridiculous.

This morning I’m getting ready for another course, one that I’m super excited about.

Jumped on a train last night, and here I am in Kent.

I have three days with the British Army - some bomb disposal guys are coming in for some time.

You think you have a stressful job?

If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Hurt Locker” you might have an idea of what stress is.

I’m excited because I know if these guys practice what I teach, they will come to a place where they have some tools and develop some habits so they can stay cool and clear regardless what they’re faced with.

There was some stats a while back that suggested there were more deaths amongst soldiers from suicide than in combat.

I don't know why this is so, but I know where ever there is stress, Ascension will help.

It doesn't make problems go away, it just makes things clearer. It puts things in perspective.

If someone were to keep practicing - and I've seen this in so many people over the years - the continued growth in clarity and perspective means that stress can become a choice.

Problems become challenges, not stress inducing nightmares.

How wonderful.

I’m excited because meditation has been used for literally thousands of years and finally we’re starting to catch up.

I’ll tell you all about it later when we’re done.

Til then just know, just have it as a possibility in your mind that stress could be optional.

Struggle could be needless.

You can have everything you want, and be free of all suffering, any anguish, any stress at all.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

How closing your eyes changes other people.

Did you know that your meditation practice changes other people?

There have been various studies done on the correlation between populations of meditators and statistics like crime rates.

Transcendental meditation even used to have a crack squad of elite meditators who would fly into conflict zones, for example, to bring more harmony and peace.

I’m not sure if they still do that,  but the stats in the studies are significant and have been repeated.

Google something like "meditation and crime rate" if you don't believe me.

The fact is you don't even need to leave home.

I was involved in an informal one the Ishayas did about ten years ago together with a contact in the police department of a major US city.

We were in BC, Canada at the time.

We also found - in a city many hours from where we were - a big drop in crime rates, especially amongst violent crime.

The only rate that didn’t go down was speeding.

Given the Ishayas at the time were heavily into go-karting on their time off, we got wondering…

There are various theories as to why this happens, some more outrageous than others, but for me the fact is meditation gives me so much. When I’m solid, when I’m calm and clear and content, everyone around me has the chance to be solid.

If there is also some unseen fringe benefit to the people around me, well, that's just great.

Maybe I should start charging for the calm and clarity influence…?

Set up a “I meditate so you don’t have to” business?

Don’t steal my idea.

Why asking “What do I do?” ended in frustration for me

Yesterday I was talking about having your cake and eating it too.

In that you need give nothing up to have a life of 200%.

200% is what the Ishayas call having perfect internal calm and connection and yet a completely full and rich external life - enjoying all the things this world has to offer:

Fine wines, dining out, strong coffee, nice clothes, warm pork pies, good music.

That’s why I loved the Ishayas.

I loved the practice of Ascension, so super simple, so honestly and clearly giving me the choice to detach from the worries and doubts of my own mind.

But the Ishayas also never told me how I should live.

Every time I asked what should I do about this, or what should I do about that, they always asked me what I wanted to do.

They just said practice being so alive to this moment, so open, so fresh and excited and then live. Go beyond your mind - see how you limit yourself with your own thoughts. Live a life without limitations.

That was it.

They refused to say what I should do. And for someone looking for a way, this was a little frustrating.

All I wanted was someone to tell me what to do.

How else did I know I was living right?

But I came to realise how liberating that was.

No one can tell you how to live your life. Your path is your path.

You have to find your instruction manual within yourself, and within each and every moment.

You see, it’s constantly updating, constantly refreshing itself.

But you come to be present and alive to now and you will know what to do, where to go, how to live. Listen in and you will find the answer for this moment.

You will become clear on your own life.

Perfect.