Bullsh*t Job?

It's Monday morning and you may well be back at work - so let’s talk about work and jobs. As sociologists and psychologists and meditation teachers have noted, people not only do a job for money, but so they can contribute something of meaning to something bigger than themselves.

People are happiest when they feel like they are of use - to someone, anyone.

Being of service is crucial part of our make up, a crucial part of our happiness.

Now - there is bullsh*t and rubbish that is devoid of meaning and use in ANY job. Some have more than others, much more - and I know certainly I’ve worked jobs where I really couldn’t see any point in what I was being paid to do.

This can be soul-destroying.

Some days you'll even just want to say "to heck with it all!"

You want to be of use, and yet it seems it matters not what you do, what improvements you suggest, the whole machine grinds on regardless, unchanged, unstoppable. You need a wage and yet the wage you are getting doesn’t seem to cover the sense of purposelessness or indeed, what seems to be the destruction of your soul.

Stressful this gets, yes it does. Oh my, if I had a penny for each time I heard this same story I’d be able to go out for a modest lunch right now.

So what do you do about meaning and purpose and what not?

Often psychologists will say find a job that gives you meaning and a sense of control.

This is well and good - and important to do IF you are able to do that - but it also assumes you are a tool. If you excuse me, a tool in all ways of the word. Through no fault of your own (because that's what we are taught), you’re waiting for something to be given to you. You're allowing yourself to be defined by the outside: "I am my work".

And the problem with this viewpoint is all that is good comes from the outside. Here, you will always be left short. The fact is you are so much bigger than your work.

How about claiming your own sense of meaning and purpose regardless of where you are and what you do?

I’m talking about taking the power back. Of not letting your work define you so much as you being able to define your work - regardless of what you do.

Certainly there is room for choice - to get a new job, to start your own business. However, always and most importantly is your ability to define the situation or circumstance you find yourself in.

Because what you focus on grows.  So your job is full of bullsh*t and you can’t/don’t want to quit … can you find meaning and purpose regardless of it?

Can you accept, tune out and find satisfaction somewhere else? Just get through the day with the minimum of effort and find a way of contributing in some other way?

It’s important because you want to be free to define your world. See when you are letting it define you, and flip that around - make another choice.

Crucial to meaning and purpose and an effortless life this is because you will always be faced with things you don’t like, in circumstances you might not understand.

Whether you let these get you down, to destroy your soul? That CAN be up to you.

Take the power back.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. Freedom of choice? It’s a huge concept, isn’t it? Owning your choice on at least your attitude makes a ginormous difference to how you live.

And although it’s simple for me to say, it’s a real deal. You can develop the skills to have complete freedom of choice.

Here’s 108 ways - ideas - (free) that mean you develop this:

https://mailchi.mp/60dbe4ffeccf/freedom-from-thinking-so-much

2 things that stop any dream happening

Exciting times!! I’ve figured out there are 2 things that stop me - and probably you since we're all the same mostly, really - from doing the big work, from the stuff that excites you, that is important to you. Your life work even, perhaps.

I’m talking specifically about a project like writing a book ...

(My book? Kind of you to ask - it is coming, just being polished by outside forces and a wonderful job they are doing - I'll let you know when you can get a copy)

... or a blog, but it could be anything from learning to paint or to meditate, going on an overseas journey, starting a business, a family, anything …

I’ve had both of these things in buckets, but once you see them, once you really see them, they’re easy to overcome. Promise. 

The first is waiting for Permission.

So many people just sit, and wait until someone in "authority" gives them permission to go ahead and start, to get involved.

Often you’ll think what you want to do isn’t important enough. But hogwash to that. Jump in, don’t wait for permission.

The second is waiting for Perfection.

You’re either waiting to become good enough to begin, or waiting for the project to be perfect before you reveal it to the world.

Waiting for that means you never actually do anything. It always gets delayed until … perfection comes. And has anyone ever really come face to face with perfection?

Beyond, that is the internal attitude of perfection that comes from appreciation?

Make a start, get it “good enough” and send it out to trusted advisors for feedback.

All I can say is don’t wait for permission or perfection.

Claim it, do it, jump in. You may have to take a big gulp and do it anyway, but waiting is a giant handbrake, and one, once you see these 2 things, you have control over.

Questions? Let me know, I’d love to help.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. Being more mindful and present?

It is the most powerful "thing" that helps you see all these mental limitations and handbrakes. It means you can see what’s going on inside your own head so you don’t do the things that really mean you come alive.

It is awesome. Here’s a free guide with 108 different ideas on being more:

https://mailchi.mp/60dbe4ffeccf/freedom-from-thinking-so-much

Mayonnaise - Satan’s condiment?

"Mayonnaise is a tyrant of a condiment, and very arrogant. It thinks it makes everything better but it does not."_______

So said a man recently in the news who obviously dislikes mayonnaise ...

And I’m with him.

Mayo? No thanks. It’s a bit like whipped cream. That I do not like, no I do not. Not at all. It’s just too … cloying. All pervasive. It takes over. It is indeed a tyrant. Now clotted cream on the other hand … that there is nectar of Gods.

(In the picture - note the evil mayonnaise lurking in the background, plotting ... and to be childish, for sure, do you see the brand? Of course. I rest my case)

However - I'm not here to chat about condiments or scone toppings.

I want to talk about complaining ... because it works.

The above man estimates politely (key word) complaining about the mayonnaise being thrust upon his food in restaurants, even when he has clearly stated that he does not want such a thing, means he has been given around £1000 a year in free dishes or discounts as way of apology.

Yet so often we put up with something that is unacceptable. Have you had that? Of course you have. You clearly state “x” and you get “y”, and yet “I don’t want to make a fuss” you might say.

On holiday in Greece I heard a man saying the exact same thing while concerned bystanders were trying to help him with the (small) heart attack he was having.

"I don’t want to make a fuss, I’ll just die quietly here in the corner …"

Or someone treats you in a way that is appalling and you think it’s your fault, or that it doesn’t matter, it’s not important, you’ll just let it go … and yet clearly it does matter as it eats you alive inside your own head for the next 3 days.

Complaining, or having the courage to attempt to change the things you can, is a great thing, a wonderful thing, an important thing.

How will anyone get better if they don’t know what you feel about the matter? How will your life be if you never stand up for yourself and/or do those things that may well be within your power?

Indeed - it needs to be tempered with the serenity to accept that sometimes, perhaps often times, people won’t change. But at least you’ve spoken up for yourself in a timely manner.

Maybe you are given a free meal, maybe someone will shout at you.

What I know for sure is sometimes the truer the “complaint”, sometimes the more extreme the response from someone can be. When something hurts, sometimes that's a great indicator that it’s true. Ouch. You’re not as good as you think you are, but - as I said above - how will you improve if you don’t know?

Now this is all very different from whining and whinging.

That is a focus on what is wrong and is so boring and tedious. Be very careful with that. It means you’ve become a victim to what you think is wrong, and aren’t doing anything about it except for letting your trap run.

Do something or don’t, but just drop it. Whining is no way to live.

So have the courage to change, and the serenity to accept.

But how do you find the wisdom to know the difference?

Well - that’s where life gets exciting. That’s where the spiritual rubber meets the road of life, as a wise man once said.

Wisdom can only come when you tune into the need of this moment in time. Not the last moment, but this moment, here now.

When you do that you are given wisdom. And it’s all about playing and exploring and seeing too. Don’t be afraid to make a “wrong” decision. You’ll be paralysed that way, too scared to do anything, and that’s no fun.

Just tune in and see what this moment needs. Alrighty?

Go well! Arjuna

PS. It always comes back to now, doesn’t it?

All of life, all of it - here, now. Get good at living here and now, and all stress, overwhelm, negativity and whining fall away. 

Peace, clarity, effectiveness, contentment and fun reign.

Here's 108 ways to get super present and mindful and stay cool, calm and collected:

https://mailchi.mp/60dbe4ffeccf/freedom-from-thinking-so-much

What is your favourite thing to do?

My favourite thing, without a doubt, is more favourite than even eating food in a glorious Greek taverna, sitting in the shade under a canopy of wine vines, ordering and re-ordering little plates of goodness. More favourite than going to see a really good movie, reading a really good book, chatting with Sumati about something really good, swimming in the surf, exploring and travelling and meeting up with great people … more favourite than all that even.

It is kayaking.

I love it. I went last night and had to be dragged from the river, kicking and screaming. “One more” I cried, like a deranged hamster begging for another lap on the wheel of joy.

Now I know it’s not for everyone, but it really lights my fire. Really.

What lights your fire?

What makes you come alive?

It’s so important. Life can become that other hamster wheel, the one of “must do to survive” and that's a drag. Its easy to forget the why - as in the why you are alive.

These things are crucial to you, and yet it is so easy to let them slip on by. They put lead in your pencil, a spring in your step.

You may have to schedule, you may have to negotiate to get the time. But, and I don’t often say this, you have to do it. You have to find a way of getting that time in.

It may not be a lot, but make the time, and appreciate that time. It is the difference between living with a spring in your step and a slump in your shoulders.

Alrighty?

Awesome!

What does any of this have to do with meditation?

Meditation for me is all about being more alive. It enables you to live supremely well, no matter what you’re doing. It means you can rest in that sense of joy and absorption no matter if you’re doing that thing you love, or the ironing (which I do not love, no I do not).

It makes life a joy, and it brings it all to life.

I can’t think of a better thing for everything you want to do and get from your life. I really can’t.

So if you want to know how to really do it?

Here's a free guide to getting the most out of life:

https://mailchi.mp/60dbe4ffeccf/freedom-from-thinking-so-much

Questions? Let me know!

Go well, Arjuna

How do I stop my bad dreams?

Have you ever had a run of sleepless nights? Your anxiety or bad dreams ruining any chance of getting some rest, some peace? Or perhaps your mind is just running a thousand miles per hour, trying to help you by outlying everything that went wrong today, and everything that’ll go wrong tomorrow? Dude! Do you live in my head? At least, the head I had before I learnt to manage all the craziness that would sometimes appear in between my ears.

Someone else asked me that same question just yesterday: “How do I stop my bad dreams?”

The easy answer is that you can’t.

You can’t stop your dreams, or your thoughts, or your emotions. And honestly, you don’t want to.

You’ll get into such a battle that you’ll get less rest, not more, and the dreams, the thoughts will keep coming.

As bad as they may feel, as fearful as they might be, your dreams are actually a useful way, a natural way,of your mind/body processing and coming to terms with past events and overwhelm.

Suppressing, sedating, getting into a fight just means they’ll - at best - go away temporarily and then bounce back much much stronger next time.

What is easier, indeed what is possible, is to change how much attention you put on them.

However, this requires a touch of courage, a touch of faith on your behalf.

First thing that helped me no end was to assume that what was happening wascompletely natural AND would have an end.The less resistance I could bring to it, the less I could get into the story and the drama around it, the faster it would go.

Courage is required not to hide from these fears but to sit with them. Not entertaining them, but sitting alongside them while they spin themselves out.

Faith is needed that if you do this it WILL have an end, it will come to a conclusion at some time, when you allow it.

In the beginning I found an anchor by focusing on my breath when I woke, sweating and with that awful feeling in my belly. Not fighting what was left of the dream but bringing more attention to the sound and feeling of the air coming in and out, slowly and methodically.

The more I practiced during the day the easier this was to pull off, half asleep and panicked in the middle of the night.Just to breathe, to find security and the present moment, to find one thing I could hold onto while not struggling against the fear.

Learning the Ascension Attitudes was such a bonus. They helped this natural “pressure release” happen so much more gracefully and easily.

You’ll come to place where you might have the same dream but it has no emotional content anymore. It’ll be almost like an old photo that brings up a memory but has no hooks.

But the weirdest thing, perhaps the hardest thing to come to terms with is that the best way to come out the other side is not avoidance but going through.

The bonus you get is to realise that you CAN face your fears and your anxieties, your regrets and your guilts and they won’t kill you. They may make you shake, but you can sit with those things and remain ultimately untouched by them.

And that is such a huge thing, because fear then can never stop you doing anything.

I hope that helps any of you that suffer with fear, anxiety, panic. NOW - This takes practice!Practice now while the going is good and then you will find it easier in the tough times, ok?

Let me know if you have any questions at all too.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. I've got a free guide that talks about, amongst other things, a breathing meditation. Here's where to get a copy:
www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

“It’s too much of a hassle”

Still on Patmos, Greece. That small, but beautifully formed island of Good Times. Every year (this year is the last year here actually) we have a get together of all the European Ishayas of the Bright Path.

A wonderful time it is too. Some seriously profound teaching, so profound I'm left slack jawed in amazement (not pretty to see I imagine), some “so sore, can’t keep laughing” belly laughs, and a ton of good food and sunshine.

(I seriously LOVE Greek salads) Now - I don’t want to rub your noses in my holiday, not at all.

I wanted to point out how amazing it is, being here with my buddies and fellow teachers, my “tribe”.

It's such a great event - and yet in the past I have been guilty of almost not bothering to go. 

You see, getting here is EPIC.It involves all sorts of driving and flying and staying nights and ferrying and all the rest.

And we have Bubba in tow, and even though she’s a seasoned traveler now, it’s still not a walk in the park.

As such it can be easier to think “what’s the point? So much effort for 8 days? I’ll stay here at home where it’s easier”… do you know?

Yet the PAYOFF is way more than my mind can ever quantify. It’s huge: lifting, elevating, inspiring, on-going.

Putting yourself in the way of More isn’t always straightforward.

It involves a dedication from you.

It involves getting off your bottom and doing something - sometimes something new, often something that means a sacrifice from you.

But it’s always always worth it. Always.

You always get way more, way, way more. More Life. Something you might not be able to measure, but something you KNOW that is way more important than anything you can measure.

So whatever it may be - and you know what IT is, for you, you do - stop putting it off because it just seems a bit hard, or a bit scary, a bit unknown or a bit whatever.

Take one small step to get that thing. And then another. An end result can be overwhelming - but small steps are easy.

It’s worth it.

Go well! Arjuna

The “vibe” is important - but it’s different from what you think

As you read this I will be on the small island of Patmos, Greece. It’s a lovely hunk of rock - sunny, cute whitewashed houses, a ginormous castle right on the top - a huge block of “no way are you getting in here if you we don’t want you to” …

Of course, it has calamari and greek salads and yogurt and snorkelling in beautifully clear water and all that.

But it also is the site of John of the Revelation’s cave.

It’s a seriously cool place.

It has a sensational vibeto it. A great spot to hang out, to meditate, to contemplate. I would say it’s one of those places in the world where you just have to visit, whatever your beliefs - if you like places that relax, that give you an expanded sense of self, this is one of them.

Now I’m not much into energy- I mean, I feel it, I recognise it when people and places are relaxed and joyful, when they are tense and stressed.

So do you, right?

You know when you walk into a room when there’s just been argument. You know when you’re talking to someone who has nothing to prove, nothing to hide - you just relax around them, you can be yourself.

But like emotions, energy is just movement. It’s something that comes and goes. It’s not a crucial factor in a good life, although many people get lost in it, constantly search for the “right” energy and all of that - while the rest of us who are differently wired roll our eyes.

The cool thing is you create your own energy.How you are in within yourself, like I mentioned above, creates a feel, a vibe that others recognise - even if it’s not a conscious recognition.

In all your relationships - at home, at work - what impresses other people, what makes them relax and feel safe is all down to your inner workings.

Your presence speaks louder than words. 

And it’s not, despite what a lot of people still think, about proving yourself, elevation, being better, not at all.

The best vibe, as I said, comes from a complete and utter acceptance and allowanceof who you are in this moment.

This - again despite what a lot of people think - has nothing to do with giving up or being a walk over, and everything to do with, like I said, having nothing to prove and nothing to hide. I don't really know how else to describe it.

When you don’t feel like you need to bolster yourself or to appear a certain way, everyone is attracted to you. And the funny thing is, you don’t care. You’re not trying to.

Being present and immersed in this moment in time ... that is the greatest thing you can do for anyone - and definitely not running around like a headless chicken “doing” for people.

Make your foundation, as it's been said many times, about being - not doing.

So create your own vibe. Be at peace. Accept yourself. You ARE way more than enough.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. If you like the sound of the above, then here’s the how, a free guide (actually two!):

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

The 12 year old who snuck off to Bali without his parents

Did you see the story about the Australian 12 year old who booked flights to, and hotels, in Bali, flying there by himself, checking into his hotel, only to be busted when they started looking for him as he didn’t show up for school? I thought - how awesome.

His mum? Not so impressed!

“Shocked, disgusted. There’s no emotion to feel what we felt when we discovered that he had left overseas,” she said.

I imagine he must be a handful, I get that, perhaps being his mum and dad would be a constant nightmare … however … at 12 years old doing all that by yourself? To me, that is not so disgusting as amazing.

At 12, I was crying at the bus stop when I realised I’d caught the wrong bus to the wrong part of town.

“It was great,” he said. “Because I wanted to go on an adventure.”

YES!

Give him a medal and a pat on the back for being so awesome - and clever too. (Just maybe hide your credit cards.)

I don’t know about you - maybe you have a 12 year old son who is a touch wilful and this just gives you the willies … but I think having a more adventurous attitude is so cool.

Now - you don’t HAVE to go anywhere to do this, you don’t have to reinvent yourself … but even just trying something a little different is such a boost to you.

A new class, a new route home, a new recipe, wandering down that street that you wonder where it goes to, going over and saying hello rather than thinking about it …

You don’t have to play the same old roles, have the same old conversations, get into the same old dramas, wish the same wishes without making them happen …

YOU don't have to, and how freeing would that be?

A touch of bravery and life opens up extraordinarily just with a few different choices.

And why not? As someone once said, there’s free cheese in the mice traps but the mice there aren’t happy.

Stay safe with what you know and have done? Or branch out and try something different, do something different, be someone different.

And why not?

Go well! Arjuna

PS. Want to be a touch more brave? More adventurous perhaps?

In this meditation guide I give you the exact tools that show you your inner limitations and stories and allow you to go beyond them, effortlessly:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

Drained and stressed OR Alive and blessed?

Want to be a smiley yellow ball? Of course you do! Read on ... To live a life where you’re excited rather than stressed and drained, content and grateful rather than dissatisfied, fully present and focused rather than spending all your time regretting the past and worried for the future, being a wonderful role model, anchor and inspiration for your loved ones, as opposed to letting that snappy, grumpy beast out …

When you stop and put your mind to it, when you nurture that, this life can come quite simply. It does.

The Good is always here, and many times it just takes a reminder to open your eyes to see it. When you see it, you live it - every part of your life responds.

How do YOU remind yourself to live the Good, nay Great, life?

What do YOU do to stop and connect with and nurture that really best version of you?

I know it’s easier, sometimes, to just go through the motions of life. I know it can sometimes be easier to grump and whine and all the rest of it. I know it can sometimes be easier to get into a habit of rushing around trying to get all your jobs done and responsibilities out of the way and “then I’ll get to take time to connect and nurture the inner …”

But I know this for sure:

Look after the inner first and the outer follows sweetly and smoothly.The inner connection makes everything Great, and Greater. It means you can sail through the tough times.

If you like quotes, because I certainly do, Meister Eckhart, that groovy German monk from way back, once said the very same thing: ________

“What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.” ________

So see it as a practice. See it like brushing the teeth of your soul, nutrition for your Being. Something you do everything single day.

Put yourself in the way of inspiration and reminders and the Good, and reap the benefits.

(That’s your homework for today by the way.)

Go well! Arjuna

PS. It’s the very reason I close my eyes and meditate every day. It’s the very reason I hang out with fun, inspired, inner anchored people as much as possible. It’s the very reason I teach and share all this stuff:

Inspiration and reminding and deepening of the Good in every moment and in every part of my life.

Here's a free guide on exactly how to do that:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

What's the point of being human?

It’s so easy to get lost in the busy-ness of the world, of your life, isn’t it? Trying to avoid overwhelm and anxiety, sleeplessness and regret … just getting through the day. Surviving ... all so the weekend will be your time to live. And then of course, if you are like I was, losing a big chunk of your weekend cos you’re dreading the return of Monday.

Now I knew life could be better. I did. I didn’t know what to do, but I wanted to find out.

I wanted to find the point of being human.

So, here’s the reason I started meditating, why I made some small but not insignificant changes in my life, and pretty much what I stand for now, and all what it might mean for you.

(Just so you know, the photo is what you get when you search for "Flow". Maybe it's about squeezing all the juice from life? Hmmmm... that would work!)

Here we go:

Do you remember an amazing moment in your life? You’ll be able to remember at least one, I’m sure, if not more.

It’s the thing that links us humans … these moments, these precious moments of Aliveness.

It matters not what you were doing, but that you were fully immersed in the task or the moment. Whether it was knitting or reading or kayaking down a river or sitting by a fire, you were captivated, rapt, fully involved, absorbed.

Sometimes, like me, you might have had a heightened sense of reality.Time might have slowed, intuition peaked, you might have known what was going to happen before it happened. There was zero doubt, just inspired action.

I had these moments in kayaking and being in the mountains but also cooking, hanging out with buddies, dancing on a hill top until dawn, at work (of all places) too … the key thing is that it’s not about WHAT you were doing, but HOW you were doing it.

Alive, fully alive … such a great way of living.

Many of us forget these moments. I didn’t. I wanted more of that, so much more, but had no idea of the how, no idea at all.

Psychologists are calling this Flow, and are trying to work out the how. People generally “fall” into it by mistake (I know I did) but with advanced brain scanning and bigger, better science they’re getting closer to this answer.

The amazing thing is that - the way I personally see it- this state of Flow can be switched on by experienced meditators at will, by choice.

True - and if anyonecan choose to have these moments ALL the time? You can too.

Everything I’m reading about Flow is replicable by getting good at the following:

Being present and super focussed in this precise moment in time.

That’s it.

That's it, in a nutshell, of course.

That seems to be the conclusion psychologists are coming to, too. That you can meditate to end stress and limitation, or you can meditate so you can be SO alive stress and limitation doesn’t exist.

To get this, you couldthrow yourself off a mountain top with a parachute attached, or if that doesn’t appeal, you can learn to be Alive no matter what you are doing.

You can have a state of Flow that is caused by something, or you can learn to choose for it regardless of where you are and what you are doing.

I’d rather be free to choose … then doing the dishes or looking after Bubs becomes a whole new world of fun.

Conclusions?

Don’t settle for less. Each and every moment of your life, no matter what it entails, can be so much more.

The answer lies not in what you do, but how you do it. Your attitude and your focus is key.

Flow is a skill. Your human brain can learn these states - in fact it takes a ton less energy to exist in these states and not only does enjoyment goes through the roof but effectiveness too.

Flow takes practice. The more you do it, the more you master it. Or maybe it masters you? (oooh!)

What do you think? Gives a whole new dimension to motivation for regularly sitting with your eyes closed, doesn’t it?

Go well! Arjuna

PS. Here’s the PS - there’s always one, isn’t there? -

I did a lot of searching for what would end stress and bring Flow and Aliveness to my life. Here’s an excellent guide on getting started with this. And it's free;

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

Winston didn’t say this about courage, but it’s still cool

I found a cool quote yesterday, I wanted to share it with you:______

“Success is not final, Failure is not fatal: It’s the courage to continue that counts.”

- Anon ______

Supposedly Winston Churchill said that, but experts are saying he had nothing to do with it.

Just as an aside - it’s interesting isn’t it? All these quotes that Buddha said, or Michaelangelo said, or Gandhi said, and none of them are true.

As Aristotle once wrote: "Not everything you read on the internet is true"... Heh heh.

These experts occasionally complain about this lack of scholarly attention, but the cool thing is this:

The WORDS have truth in them, that’s why they travel so far and wide. And to me? That’s all that really matters.

I remember ages back there was this channelled being called Ramtha. He spoke some very wise words and helped a ton of people out with what he was saying, through his channeller JZ Knight.

One day JZ pipes up and admits that she made it all up, Ramtha didn’t exist and it was just her speaking her truth.

People left in their droves. 

They wanted the glamour, I guess, of some mystical being and not the words of “just” some housewife.

But here is my point, in this rather large detour … it doesn’t matter where truth comes from, as long as it speaks from you.

Young Bubba is FULL of truth and she doesn’t even speak yet. So if I were you, I'd stay open to finding truth anywhere.

BACK to the quote though - 

No matter where it comes from, it’s an excellent set of advice, isn’t it?

No matter what, just get up and go again. Think you're a success? Doesn't matter - this moment is it. Think you're a failure? Doesn't matter - you get another chance to go again.

In Ascension there will be times where your head just tells you to give up. It will. If it’s anything like my head, then it will.

However the funny thing is that no matter how difficult life might SEEM, no matter how much my head would whine and complain and tell me to get out of there …

I knew - really - deep down, that I had no choice. I would keep going until I mastered my mind, until the job was done.

The more I did that, the more it led to the same attitude in life and in doing all those things I said I wanted to do.

No matter what, I've found the ability to ignore my mind and just keep going until I got where I wanted to go.

So for what it’s worth … I hope that is worth something!

Just get up and go again, no matter what.

It’s really the only thing that works in any sphere of life.

Love yas A

PS. Meditation is so great - because it gives you the means to ignore the past, ignore your thoughts about the past and all the regrets and guilt that may contain …

And instead be completely present and alive to this moment, and all the possibilities it may contain for you.

Here's a little free guide on how to master your mind, simply:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

Brushing the teeth of your soul

It’s kind of a funny way to put it - But I was talking to a young fellow who was telling me why he does his Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension meditation.

“It’s like brushing your teeth, isn’t it? You just do it everyday and it gets rid of all the furry, plaque-y stuff from your soul” …

Such wise words from a young man.

And it’s true - the whole thing about closing your eyes, taking time out for you is that it removes anything that’s built up over the days, weeks, months, years.

A daily ritual that gently brushes it all away so you’re left feeling shiny, clean, renewed.

I like that a lot.

Hope you’re well out there!

Go well

Arjuna

PS.

Here's a free guide to get going on brushing your teeth of your soul:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

The shackles of perfectionism

Oh my goodness - There is so much stuff out there in the interweb that seems to sell perfectionism, isn’t there? I was sitting down over the weekend with a bunch of ladies that came to a meditation and mindfulness workshop I was doing and was reminded of that.

One of the conversations was about instagram and facebook and how there are sooooo many seemingly perfect people on there, selling perfect bodies, perfect families, perfect jobs, perfect food, perfect everything.

Seeing that, even as a casual observer, it can be so easy to feel “less than” - that you’re somehow failing because your life isn’t like those you see around you.

But the fact is it's mostly a front, a great illusion presented for likes and popularity and business.

It can also be so easy to be really hard on yourself when you focus on all those things you think you did wrong - and your mind is excellent at that, by the way. It will focus on the 30 minutes of your day that was a nightmare and completely forget how great you were and how straightforward the day was for the other 23 hours and 30 minutes.

Our minds focus on what is wrong with us so easily, and it causes regret and guilt and a whole world of blah and self-violence.

So I say give up perfectionism, and comparison too. Throw it away. Give it a big kick.

That you’re still reading this means you want to be better —and that is all that counts.

You want to learn skills to be more calm and less reactive. To get that half-step back from what you’ve done, from what you’ve think you’ve done.

You want to be reminded that you are MORE than enough. You are down-right amazing, actually - it’s just you are always the last to see it.

So give yourself a break. Give yourself a pat on that back.

You are already better just wanting to be better.

You are already better just knowing that you are a little harsh, that you react sometimes.

True. Without seeing that habit, you have no choice, you can't do anything about it. So do give yourself that pat on the back, you're already well on the way to beating that voice.

So, when you notice that critical voice coming up, know that you’re leaving it behind. No matter how many times it comes, bring your attention to something else. The breath, deep into your belly, slowly exhaling out. The Ascension Attitudes are genius too at breaking that habit of perfectionism and self-violence.

Don’t let that voice win, with consistency you will be better.

You ARE more than enough, and there’s even more to come.

How wonderful!

If I can help? Please just ask.

Go well today, have a great day! Arjuna

PS. Giving up my own voice of perfectionism and over the top criticism has been quite a journey, it really has.

“I will get better” was/is an amazing attitude to take about all of life. Then you never give up.

Here’s some free tools that I put together for you:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

Harvard says here's how you can change how people think of you

I few days ago I wrote about how you can't control what other people think about you.Turns out I was wrong - ha! I love it when I'm wrong.

You CAN affect what other people think of you. You see:

A Harvard Psychologist says being present means other people think three things about you:

- you are believable - you are confident without being arrogant - you are seen to be honest - your verbal and non-verbal communication is in sync.

Isn’t that nice?

Here's the link if you want to have a quick shifty yourself:

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/harvard-psychologist-says-success-situation-153500508.html

Now this study was done by the woman that invented the “power pose” - a way of standing adopted by politicians and corporate peeps en mass for a while there that increased positive hormone levels and confidence ... but actually there wasn’t a lot of science behind it.

However - never let a lack of science get in your way.

If you are feeling low, sick, depressed - try standing up as tall as you can, roll your shoulders back and lift your chin. Makes a world of difference to your inner state.

Back to the main point though -

I know Harvard hasn’t worked out how to measure a bunch of different “effects” on other people of you being present, but it is true:

When you are present other people notice. It’s a rare thing, really it is. Because not many people are that present. They aren't.

Not many people truly listen without formulating a reply at the same time. Or maybe they’re thinking about that thing at work, or what Jo Bobbalina said to them this morning. Or maybe they’re just plain old on their phone. Still amazes me when I head out to the restaurant or pub of how many people are not communicating, just flicking.

People spend more time paying attention to their own thoughts than to their outside world. Harvard hasn't measured it yet, but that is true, believe me.

So when you get present, people notice. Actually - The greatest thing you can give anyone is your full attention. It changes everything.

Try it - with your kids, your partner, with the people you meet in your day. Give them your full attention and see what happens. Let me know!

(The picture is of my favourite stock image girl showing you one way of fully listening to someone - why not try that!? Heh heh)

And the great thing is for you: You won’t miss a single moment of your life. Which is kind of a big deal, considering here it is, right in front of you. You’re fully present to your life, not lost in your head thinking about it.

You show up for your life! How about that then?

Awesome - go well, Arjuna

PS. Show up! Here’s how to get rid of those habits and patterns which mean you don’t show up. And it's free to you because you are awesome:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

Needing attention?

Once upon a time I met a very very wise yoga teacher. He seemed different from all the others I had met simply because he seemed like he had nothing to prove. In an age of celebrity everyones, all the self-promotion on Instagram and Facebook and the rest, it seemed like he could care less about any of that.

He wasn’t a show off, he was just content to teach and be of service and be himself. He just loved teaching and helping, and yoga itself.

He didn’t need anyone’s adoration, he needn’t need much actually.

It’s kind of magnetic when someone doesn’t need anything from you, isn’t it? You just want to hang around them more, ironically.

But if you have young ones around you, teaching them to navigate this is so important, isn’t it?

They get so wrapped up with social media and what other people think of them, everything depends on that. Well, I’m guessing that’s the case, although I did read a study that said it was the case. I was like that for a long time into adulthood and I didn’t even have social media growing up. I just had a cardboard box. We knew how to make our own fun, by crikey!

But all this?

It begins with you. It doesn’t require you to do anything, beyond freeing yourself from the exact same thing:

Finding happiness and security within yourself first and foremost. Freeing yourself from needing anything from anyone - enjoying people but not being chained to them.

Then you are a living example of peace and acceptance for them. So they always have that kind of anchor to come home to, to connect with. So no matter how tough their heads get, they have you.

Makes sense? Working on yourself means you can make the biggest impact on the whole world.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. Here's a practice for freeing yourself of needing anything - and enjoying everything - can be found here (and it's free):

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

Why NOT taking time for you is like a sushi train

I love sushi! Don't know about you, but it is one of the world's best foods. I once had sushi in Mexico and it came with grilled cheese and Jalapenos. Now that was unexpected. Now - what does this have to do with taking time for yourself? Well, read on:

The single hardest thing about life is simply stopping and sitting down. Resting? "Waste of time!" people think all the time.

It's crucial though - to switch off, to get off the hamster wheel of life, to give yourself a moment or two to reconnect, to get that half-step back, to get energy, enjoyment, perspective.

Now meditation? That is rest, supercharged. It really is. The practice itself (should) be simple and straight forward and relaxing, and as such, enjoyable (although there are some tough practices out there). It brings a wealth of benefits to all that practice.

However, even experienced meditators can have trouble just sitting down:  They’re on the go, things to see, people to do, and time is always short.

“It’s not the right time - I’ll do it later”.

I think people think there is no price to pay for keeping on pushing. Because the price is paid later you think you can keep delaying.

It’s just like one of those all you can eat sushi trains where the delicious sushi comes around time and time again, right under your nose.

You think “Another one? Why not? It’s only £3 for that plate”.

Yet by the time your waiter comes to tally up your bill, all those small bites of sushi add up to a mighty fine reckoning, don't they?

The bill you get, when it arrives, and surely it arrives because there is always a waiter taking count. And it's always huge! I'm always thinking "How can I ever possibly have eaten THAT much sushi?" But it's true.

Why not just pay "the bill" as you go?

There is no such time as the right time - you just have to make time.

But you have to, otherwise you’ll just be in the same mental loops, doing the same things, involved in the same negative, limiting patterns, sucked into stress and worry and anger. No peace of mind. No calm, clarity.

Take time, make time, make it part of your daily ritual. Do it and tell me how life is from there, ok?

Go well young grasshopper. There is life to be lived - not just survived, but lived well! Arjuna

PS. Here is an excellent way of setting up an “investment” so you will always have enough for the bills and extra to spend anytime you want and/or need. And it's free:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

When other people disapprove

When people disapprove, take you the wrong way, think you’re inappropriate or just plain old don’t get you … Other people, huh?

Unfortunately you can never make them see you as you would like to be seen. That would certainly be nice though wouldn’t it?

It is something that has really dogged me my whole life, what other people say, what other people think of me, what I think other people think of me ... all of that stuff … and it has led to such self-doubt and self-editing. Not being free to be seen in public, as it were.

Ever have that yourself? It’s one of the reasons why I learnt the Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension meditation. Because it gives me the ability to just not care. To go “Meh!” To see what I can control and what I can’t, and to focus on what I can do rather than worry about what I cannot.

(Above is a picture of you, when you do that. You shine you see, just like a lightbulb. The perfect picture, yet again!)

Beyond that the only thing that seems to "work" is the realisation that I don't want to not be seen, not be me any more. That it's too much hard work to try and guess what other people might misconstrue or find appropriate, and just to get used to being taken the wrong way from time to time.

It takes courage, but it gets easier the more I do it ... just "putting myself out there" as it were.

The biggest fear, I believe, is not failure, but failing, looking stupid in public. And yet on the other side of that fear is such relief and freedom.

I don’t have any real fix, no magic pill to make fear go away and never come back — just that I know from personal experience that it gets easier to deal with the more you deal with it. Being present helps enormously, for sure.

So, I don't know if that helps any this fine day, but I certainly hope so!

You are amazing, get going on this life of yours. Don't wait for approval from no one! And certainly try not to waste your time wondering what other people think.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. Life is too short to worry about what other people think, don’t you think?

Good luck - soldier forth, and if I can assist? Please just ask

PPS. If you’d like to learn the means to reset all your worries about other people, and bolster your “Meh!” muscle leaving you free to care about the important things in your life, here’s some excellent ways, for free:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

Bullies

I’ve just gotten back from teaching on the Isle of Man. It was so great. An amazing land, it feels old. Incredible people there too - if I didn’t have a family to return to, I’d have stayed longer. Here’s a quote I found on the way home: __________

The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are your own thoughts. - Bryant H Mc Gill __________

Isn’t that true?

Coming to terms with the harshness of your own head is crucial not only in feeling relaxed, content, confident, but in doing anything. The greatest critic is in your own head and if you can overcome that, you’re set for life.

It’s hard enough to do anything, you don’t need a handbrake like your own mind.

The great thing is, you need do so little to overcome it.

Just see it ... “I see you!!” is the greatest thing for choice.  You do not need to change it, or make it go away. See it, and bring your attention to something else.

If it squeaks and tells you what a loser you are? How you’re never going to get there? All that rubbish it can come up with?

Just ignore. It hates being ignored! It hates it, because all of a sudden you’re not even caring. It loses all it’s power. It loses all it’s relevance to you in one simple stroke. OK?

You don't need to fight it. Just as the ocean need not fight the fish that swim through it, you don't need to fight the thoughts - whatever they may be - that swim through your head.

So make it that simple. See it. And meditation, regular practice is an incredibly useful tool for getting good at ignoring those bullies in your own brain. So why not sit down and give yourself even just 10 minutes?

Good job!

Go well Arjuna

PS. Here's some super simple, easy, relaxing, empowering tools for you. Free.

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

My bungy jump failure

One of the proudest moments of my life (in hindsight) was walking away from a bungy jump.

Darn computer wants to change it to “bunny jump.” That’s a whole new thing altogether, isn’t it?

I was just writing about the very thing below in my book. It is so close to being finished I can smell it.

Here's kind of an adapted extract. A longer read for you.

Before we get to jumping off bridges - let’s talk about risk for a moment.

Risk — and fear — is an extremely personal thing.

Risk is necessary to move forward in any part of life. Your mind hates risk, it likes comfort: “Don’t do anything!” it says “you might fail.”

Comfort is good, but inaction isn’t, really, is it? So moving forward in life involves getting comfortable with risk, with possibly failing, definitely with making mistakes and seeming a little silly, even stupid, sometimes.

But with risk, I’m not talking about being irresponsible, I’m not talking high-risk gambling with finances or life and limb. I’m talking about not being afraid of fear, of testing your comfort zone. What you will see, however, is the more you test your comfort zone, the more you will come to re-define what your mind suggests is irresponsible.

But understand the scale of that risk is completely up to you, don’t let anyone pressure you.

Anyhow — this is where the bunny, err, bungy, jump comes in.

I was terrified, but really wanted to do it. They strapped me in, did the count down, and … I didn’t jump. The operators counted again, again I hesitated. They mocked me, told me to “strap it on.” Needless to say, that wasn’t the right approach.

I was ashamed as I walked away, the jump untaken, but later I was proud of myself. Jumping off any height is a huge deal for me, and I wanted the experience to be something, for want of a better word, “beautiful.” The conditions weren’t right and so, despite the pressure, walking away was the only option.

Risk — and fear — is an extremely personal thing. Becoming more aware of your fears, your resistances, your limitations and choosing to do something even slightly different in any sphere of life, is a bold and beautiful thing. Truly.

Setting aside the fears of my mind and focusing on what needs to be done to get down a hard rapid in my kayak is a beautiful thing (to me), but so was over-coming my fears about commitment and fully committing to my now wife. That took a serious leap, just as running rapids does.

Being a father involves risk as well: “what if we’re doing it wrong?” There’s so much conflicting advice and personal experience out there about everything, not to mention your own intuition — you just have to choose a path that seems right to you. Sometimes you just have to leap. No matter what part of your life you meet fear or your perceived scale of your steps forward, give yourself a pat on the back for not backing down.

Well done for picking up the true invitation of fear and risking being curious about what is on the other side of that fear of failure, the fear of seeming silly or stupid to someone else.

It’s not easy, I know, but it is rewarding. Authenticity, not hiding, not being afraid any more.

So — take encouragement and inspiration from others, but not pressure. You may never throw yourself off a bridge with an elastic band attached, and you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

Risk something, commit to something, but do it your way.

Go well! Arjuna

PS. The greatest tool, to me, to come to terms with fear is meditation. You see it for what it is: your mind’s smoke and mirrors. Your mind’s attempt to keep you inactive and small and comfortable.

Here’s a free guide that will get you started: www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff

Want to wake up the easy way or the hard way?

Lance Armstrong, that incredibly driven cyclist character, once said something about perspective and attitude. Now he’s is probably second best known for his recovery from cancer, but about that he said: _______ “I take nothing for granted. There are only good days and great days after chemotherapy.” _______

When you live through something has nasty as cancer and chemotherapy everything becomes a bonus.

And yet here we are with a pretty good life, and it can be so easy to fall into complaining, into taking things for granted, into focusing on what is wrong with our lives.

Isn’t it?

When you face challenges of any kind, they can serve you (as in being of service to your highest good) to highlight what is good and great about your life. Things formerly unnoticed start to come into focus. All of a sudden it can become clear how wonderful your life actually is, now, as it is.

And yet you can get through the average day without even appreciating how good it is just to be alive, to taste the coffee and breathe the air and walk across the Earth.

If I exist for one thing, it’s to remind people (and as I remind you, I remind myself) of how great things already are. The importance of, instead of waiting for a better moment, loving this one ...

Not so you don’t do anything, but so you can be of the greatest use to the world, free from stress or struggle or negativity.

Because you don’t want a wake up call like cancer. You don’t need it to wake up. Choose to wake up the easy way.

It just takes a little reminding now and then, it takes prioritising what is truly important to you, and practicing now, when the going is good.

The more you practice, the more you remember. The more you remember, the more you become what you practice. Doing this means overwhelm and negativity and feeling lost becomes a memory. A memory. You free yourself from all of that.

Alrighty?

Thank you for you, and go well! Arjuna

PS. Join me for some tools that centre you right in the heart of not taking anything for granted? That make all your days only good or great? Here's your free guide to get you started:

www.arjunaishaya.com/freestuff