Meditation: Day 21 - Bringing Light Into The World
(Chopra Center 21-Day Meditation Challenge: Shedding the Weight
Synopsis: Today’s meditation teaches us that as life becomes lighter, you open a channel for the light to enter you. This is the light of awareness, freedom, truth, and love. The greatest influence you can possibly have is to radiate your own being from the level of the true self. It’s not out of duty that we let our light shine, but because it’s our joy to bring light into the world.
Centering Thought: I offer my light to everyone.
Mantra: Jyoti Jyotova (The light of life extends everywhere.)
Quote: “Let your presence light new light in the hearts of others.” ― Mother Teresa
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Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours. -- Epictetus
The line between caring and minding one's business is a fine one. We live in a highly connected and hyper-aware society. We always want to know the latest breaking news updates and to follow the day-to-day occurrences in the lives of friends, acquaintances, and strangers on social media. Culturally, we often view those subject to the bystander effect akin to the perpetrators, as though they were abetting the crime.
Over-involving ourselves in the lives of others, can cause problems. When we allow our boundaries to become porous in one area of our lives, they are subject to infiltration in those areas where we desire them to be impenetrable.
I am not suggesting that we stop caring or that we stick our head in the sand, pretending ignorance is bliss and denial brings peace. Instead, I am merely offering that we be aware of what truly belong to us and what does not. By keeping our attention focused on what is of our concern, we allow ourselves to first take care of our needs so that we are then able to better and more fully assist others. This is analogous to putting on your own oxygen mask before assisting others. When our attention is pulled in a million different directions (or even one direction when we have not taken care of our own needs and we feel pulled to respond to every calling, we set ourselves up for falling short in every attempt and effectively jumping abroad a sinking ship with no ability to stop it from sinking.
By knowing what truly concerns us and tending to our own needs, we can be deliberate and thoughtful about how we wish to spend our time and energy. We can remain immune to coercion and needn't spend our time and efforts finding fault, being martyrs, or even agreeing with others.
Before we can be effective on the outside, we must make sure our inside is taken care of.
Mantra: I know and attend to what is mine.
PS Article roundup:
Why reporting on health and science is a good way to lose friends and alienate people
A Cambridge professor on how to stop being so easily manipulated by misleading statistics
How Doctors Take Women's Pain Less Seriously
The Economic Case for Worldwide Vegetarianism
PPS
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Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours. -- Epictetus
The line between caring and minding one's business is a fine one. We live in a highly connected and hyper-aware society. We always want to know the latest breaking news updates and to follow the day-to-day occurrences in the lives of friends, acquaintances, and strangers on social media. Culturally, we often view those subject to the bystander effect akin to the perpetrators, as though they were abetting the crime.
Over-involving ourselves in the lives of others, can cause problems. When we allow our boundaries to become porous in one area of our lives, they are subject to infiltration in those areas where we desire them to be impenetrable.
I am not suggesting that we stop caring or that we stick our head in the sand, pretending ignorance is bliss and denial brings peace. Instead, I am merely offering that we be aware of what truly belong to us and what does not. By keeping our attention focused on what is of our concern, we allow ourselves to first take care of our needs so that we are then able to better and more fully assist others. This is analogous to putting on your own oxygen mask before assisting others. When our attention is pulled in a million different directions (or even one direction when we have not taken care of our own needs and we feel pulled to respond to every calling, we set ourselves up for falling short in every attempt and effectively jumping abroad a sinking ship with no ability to stop it from sinking.
By knowing what truly concerns us and tending to our own needs, we can be deliberate and thoughtful about how we wish to spend our time and energy. We can remain immune to coercion and needn't spend our time and efforts finding fault, being martyrs, or even agreeing with others.
Before we can be effective on the outside, we must make sure our inside is taken care of.
- The next time you find yourself wanting to concern yourself with something or someone that is not yours, pause and take a few deep breaths.
- Reflect upon what need or desire you believe that your involvement will give you. What would not being involved bring you?
- Make your decision from a place of grounded wisdom.
Mantra: I know and attend to what is mine.
PS Article roundup:
Why reporting on health and science is a good way to lose friends and alienate people
A Cambridge professor on how to stop being so easily manipulated by misleading statistics
How Doctors Take Women's Pain Less Seriously
The Economic Case for Worldwide Vegetarianism
PPS
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