2319: Lessons Learned from Meditating

As I write this, I'm in the middle of a COVID test due to an outbreak on our campus. I'll share the results as soon as I get them.

This week, I had to make a lot of changes to my schedule. I had to figure out when to study, hit the gym, and game to keep my mind healthy. It was tough, I must admit. I always try my best to plan everything perfectly, but sometimes things don't go the way I want.

The biggest change I made was adding morning meditation to my routine. I started this about a year ago. Back then, I was getting really nervous about my approaching MCAT test date. I talked to a close friend, and he suggested meditation. He uses an app called "Calm" for guided meditations by a person named Tamara Levit. Her soothing voice leads you through different meditation sessions with specific topics to think about.

After a year of meditating on and off with the "calm" app, I wanted to try something new. So, like most people, I went to the Reddit forums for advice. Sometimes Reddit can be a bit negative, but this time I struck gold. I decided to try unguided meditations, where you meditate without someone guiding you. It felt like being a kid in a candy store – so many choices, but hard to pick the right one. I found a YouTube video that was amazing because it showed me three mistakes I might be making while meditating.

1. “Mediations without a topic” - it's like heading to a new restaurant without using Google Maps. You might end up driving around lost for a long time. So, the important lesson here is to pick a topic. It could be something like reading a book for 30 minutes each day or being kinder to your family and friends. Stick to this chosen topic for a whole week at a time.
2. The second mistake is “Not using your Imagination Fully”. This is where visualization can be really useful. During meditation, it's all about what your inner thoughts create. Visualizing is like painting a picture in your mind, and the aim is to make it as clear and real as possible, almost like you're experiencing it firsthand.
3. The biggest mistake that stood out was related to our “Beliefs”. It's really important to understand that what we believe strongly influences what we can accomplish. When we have strong and positive beliefs, it makes meditation even more helpful and rewarding.
   

The COVID test is negative!

Lastly, I wanted to mention more on the idea of belief and this comes from James Clear’s weekly newsletter.

"Explore life from a position of power.

When you believe, "Even if I stay single, I'll still have a great life" ... then you are in a much better position to enter a relationship.

When you believe, "Even if I don't get into this school, I'll still have a great life" ... then you are in a much better position to apply.

When you believe, "Even if I don't succeed with this business, I'll still have a great life" ... then you are in a much better position to give it a try.”

Of course, we all want the “perfect” relationship, “dream” school, and to own a Fortune 500 company and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that way of thinking. However, sometimes the stars don't align in the way we want but they still align. The point here is that even if something does not work out initially the way we want, this does not mean it won’t manifest in the way that it should. More of a power perspective of optimism.

We’re in for a long weekend this week, so with that said have a wonderful Labor Day weekend and reflect on an experience that worked out for the better.

Till Next Week,

Zech

Song of the week:

• "THANK GOD" - Travis Scott

Quote of the week:

• "Every new day is a chance to try again" - J Strelou

Podcast I recommend: *not a sponsorship!

#1. Goals Toolkit: How to Set & Achieve Your Goals | Huberman Lab Podcast

Creator: Andrew Huberman