22 sep Force less, FLOW more.

The last couple of days I spend with Jay Shetty, and I have to admit .. It’s nice to actually getting to know him. Not sure if I will ever be able to think like a monk, but Jay claims that it’s a mindset that anyone can adopt. I guess for me it’s all about being able to quiet the ego, my ego, and build a life full of purpose and meaning. A life I don’t need to take a vacation from.

Destiny

I’ve always suspected there was something deeper apart from getting a good job, getting married one day, having a familiy, the usual. “It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection”, let this sentence sink in for a moment or read it again please. Jay constantly reminds his readers that our identity is wrapped up in what others think of us, or more accurately, what WE think others think of us.

How can you recognize who you are and what makes you happy when you’re chasing the distorted reflection of someone else’s dream?

I’m addicted to memes. I collect them .. And a couple of weeks ago I bumped into this one: “I admire how when babies don’t want to hold something anymore they just drop it”. I’m not saying to give up easily or switch goals on a daily basis. What I do think is that people nowadays hold on to whatever it is, way too long. A toxic relationship, a not fulfilling job, draining friendships and so on. Experimenting with diverse experiences, letting go and reflecting on yourself .. Will help you to understand your own values and belief system. Based on this knowledge you can make choices that align with your true self.

Telling us what to do

Jay writes that the reactions to his choice to become a monk are examples of the external pressures we all face throughout our lives. And the older I get the more I’m beginning to understand that reflection, questions and experiences matter. We’re all surrounded by family, friends, society and media .. Telling us who we should be and what we should do. Go straight from high school to the best college, find a lucrative job, get married, buy a home, have children, get promoted. “Cultural norms exist for a reason and there is nothing wrong with a society that offers models of what a fulfilling life might look like”, Jay Shetty writes. “But if we take these goals without reflection, we’ll never understand why we’re not happy where we live, why our job feels hollow, whether we even want a spouse or any of the goals we’re striving for.”

The power that’s hidden in making a decision

In my opinion there’s a lot of hidden power in making decisions .. There’s power in choosing. Obviously there’s also a lot of hidden power in reflection too, but first choices need to be made. Dig your way through insecurities and anxiety. To eventually getting to know yourself by experiencing failure, succes or dissapointment.

Choice, the most powerful tool we have

We exist in a world of infinite possibilities. Every choice we make SHUTS an infinite number of doors and OPENS an infinite number of doors. At any piont, we can change the direction of our lives .. “At any point”, is all you need to remember.

Bron: Jay Shetty – Think like a MONK