How many times have you had an inspiration, an idea or something you wanted to do, but never followed through and made it a reality?
Maybe you told yourself I will do it tomorrow, or someday that would be great.

Often what holds us back is our lack of confidence in what it may take to accomplish or be successful with this new adventure or direction in life.

In psychology there is a phrase called the confidence-competence loop.
If you do not ever take action you will never gain the confidence to achieve or develop high levels of competence with anything in life.
Lets take a look at a task most of us do well. Like riding a bike. More often than not this is a simple task that involves no fear at all. So if I were to hand you a bicycle you would get on and take it for spin with out even thinking twice about it. But if I gave you a unicycle instead, fear would often set in and many of us would not even give it a try.

The only way to over come this fear is to get on and practice. We may fail ten times, one hundred times, but eventually we learn to ride and confidence would set in.

This displays how action leads to us overcoming our fears and is the starting point for developing competence in this skill.

What ever your goals, start with action to increase your competence and the confidence will follow.

Here are a few things you can do to increase your action and build your confidence with self-motivating routines:

1-Have fun, play more and make time to laugh. Remember when you were a kid? Anything thing that sounded like fun you did unless you were told not to by your parents and even then… The fact is that you did not hold back if you wanted to go ride your bike or say hi the new kid down the street you just did it. Try to remember that freedom, experience it and live it.

2-Acknowledge your limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs hold many people back from achieving success and happiness in their lives. A simple trick you can do is put your beliefs to a test. Ask yourself is this belief true for everyone in the world? If others are not held back by this belief that is weighing on you then chances are it can be let go of.

3-It is ok to fail. Step out of your comfort zone and try new things. If you are afraid to fail you will rarely ever find anything worth value. Failure builds strength, experience and confidence it is a good thing.

4-Train yourself to finish what you start. If you begin an 8 week class to help you with your fitness commit to finishing the coarse. Give it 100% effort and finish with pride. You may find that you did not like the class at the end of the 8 weeks, but you will never know if you do not try. Often if you quit too early you will miss out on things that could offer value and happiness that you will never get to see if you develop a quitting attitude. BE A FINISHER…

5-Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Take small steps, find success and move to bigger accomplishments. If you are not a runner it is not wise to say I am going to run a marathon next month. Start a routine, be consistent and find out if you like to run then start taking steps towards bigger events.

6-One last but important step. Remember to reward yourself for your efforts. All to often we fall in to a “funk” and get down on our selves when something goes wrong or we fail at something. If you get in the habit of acknowledging your accomplishments and rewarding your efforts it is easier to power through these road bumps that we all will run in to.

Print out this blog post and answer the questions on the work sheet below. You can have more than one answer for each question and if you do it today you may want to run through it again in a week or a month. I hope you get some great results from the practice and start developing self-motivating routines that help you to achieve more.

1-What changes are you going to make to increase the fun/play time in your life?

2-List any limiting beliefs you are aware of at this point in time.

3-What is something you can do today or this week to step out of your comfort zone?

4-What is something you have wanted to finish, but have not yet completed?

5-Set at least one realistic short-term goal that you can complete with in the next two months.

6-What is something you have completed in the last year that you are proud of?

For more great tips on how to develop your awareness and build self-motivating routines in to your life check out the Meditation Mastery Plan.

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Are your days fulfilling? I do not mean did you run ten miles, meditate, put out fires at work and respond to all of your emails. If this sounds familiar it may be time to take another look at what is really important to you and your happiness.

Of course we all need money to survive and work is often a necessity, but you are not identified by your job and your daily to-do’s.

If those around you can only describe you by your work and what you have accomplished with your career you are never going to have deep fulfilling relationships.

All to often we get caught up in our careers and neglect those around us thinking that we are doing what is best for ourselves and our loved ones but in reality we are slowly drifting apart.

So why is this so common? Why do so many of us neglect what we are truly passionate about?

Do past failures haunt you?

Does tomorrow’s uncertainty make you worry?

Or do the problems of today overwhelm you?

If left unattended living this life style will eat you up and leave you with little to smile about.

This is why it is so important to have actionable practices that keep us in check. If you do not have the awareness and tools needed to keep you from falling in to this cycle it is easy to get lost. Then you could wake up ten or twenty years later and realize how you missed out on many of the treasures that life presented to you.

It is great to go on a beach vacation, lounge in a hammock and listen to the waves. This will help you become present and it is great for your soul. Most of us unfortunately cannot do this every day.

It is essential for your mental, emotional and physical health that you find time to experience this feeling every day.

Meditation will help you keep in touch with this feeling and keep you focused on what is most important to you and your happiness.

It is never too late to take advantage of meditation and cultivate the practices in to your life style you are never too old to start something new.

There is a book that one of my meditation teachers had me read when I was first starting meditation about 30 years ago. Recently my seven-year-old son has taken to reading and picked this book as one he wanted to explore.

One of the chapters ends with a brief motivational thought that fit’s well with this idea:

“Feel young, forever young, for today I am one day younger than tomorrow; jump high, high and out of the well of ignorance, for I listen to people, go places, and read books.

Feel young, forever young, for today I am one day younger than tomorrow; jump high, high and out of the well of ignorance, for I listen to people, go places, and read books.
Feel young, forever young, for today I am one day younger than tomorrow; jump high, high and out of the well of ignorance, for I listen to people, go places, and read books.”

Take the time and energy needed to stay focused on living and not making a living. Be present and actively pursue the things that will lead to happiness. Build lasting relationships, be considerate to your self and others and meditate.

The practice of meditation is not something new. Research shows that the art of practicing meditation dates back more than 5000 years. Over time, various different groups have evolved the practice of meditation according to their own belief systems and preferences. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that today there are so many different meditation styles a person could choose from, to suit their own needs.

Taking the time to learn a little more about the different types of meditation styles and its origins will allow an individual to make a more informed decision on which style or type would be most suitable.

Initially thought to be a practiced art form that is heavily connected to some form of religious beliefs, meditation is now accepted as simply a practice of seeking to connect body and mind in a holistic manner to benefit the individual’s daily existence.

Today a large segment of society turns to the use of meditation as a stress reduction tool, a relaxation tool or as a self-improvement tool. There have been many positive results documented due to the use of meditation for these purposes, but to date, scientific researchers are still unable to conclusively acknowledge just how the mechanisms of meditation works.

Many people going through difficult phases in their lives turn to meditation for relief. Whether it is physical or mental, the problems faced by people today are growing at a rate that is not only alarming but also creates the need to seek solutions in as many ways as possible. This is one of the reasons why meditation is such a sought after and highly recommended exercise.

Some meditation styles encourage the practitioner to keep the mind focused on a particular element, while other meditation styles require the practitioner to chant certain phrases or words to keep the mind from wandering. There are also styles that encourage the practitioner to focus on certain breathing techniques.

The different origins of meditations background

“Meditation begins with a call that awakes us out of the coma of self-preoccupation. We are called, we are chosen. Meditation is our response to that call from the deepest center of our awakened consciousness…by letting to in meditation we learn how to love.”
Throughout history, there is clear evidence to show that human beings did turn to various different types of meditation styles for equally different reasons.

There is evidence of meditation being used during Hindu traditions in ancient India, followed by some evidence of meditation being practiced in China by Taoists. Japanese Buddhism also has its own meditation style, which is said to be the start of the sitting meditation. Jewish meditation started as a deeply religious activity, which was not centered only on the meditation exercise but was part of a combination of prayer, mitzvoth and study.

There is also the Islamic meditation style, which involves the practice of thinking to bring forth knowledge. This later evolved to include the concentrated focus on various different breathing techniques and the chanting of holy words. Christian meditation usually involves the repetition of a phrase, which is uttered while maintaining a specific physical posture. Although there is evidence that there are inclusions of other smaller and less significant aspects borrowed, the basis still remains very much the same even until today.

There is, however, a significant difference between the Eastern Christian meditation style and the Western Christian meditation style. While the eastern style requires certain steps to be followed, the western one is comparatively easy because it is less structured.

Although now practiced universally, meditation is often a sought after indulgence, based on different goals and purposes. Some practice meditation because of the desire to understand the conscious mind and its connection to the body. Others have a deeper quest in mind when they turn to meditation, and this is usually to try to find answers to fundamental questions about the origins and nature of life. The brain is able to better sieve through the onslaught of information because of meditation, which is meant to heighten awareness.

Self-realization and spiritual connection is predominantly why meditation was practiced in ancient times, and there are many notables found throughout history encouraging meditation for this very purpose. The idea of being disciplined and purified enough to practice meditation did have a significant attraction to those willing to make the sacrifice needed.

Mantra is supposed to be the evidence that links the human brain and its ability to stay concentrated and focused. The “mantra” phase is said to have enabled ancient man to reach a threshold in their evolution, which is evident in the array of tools used.

Mindfulness is the evidence of putting things into perspective while being able to stay detached. Here, there is a clear indication of how man reacts to elements such as love and compassion. Being able to focus and then detach from feelings and information is how mindfulness meditation came about. Today many meditation techniques have been able to combine mantra and mindfulness, which are the origins of modern consciousness.

Therefore, it would be appropriate to note that the history of meditation can be linked to the evolution of ancient practices that created the link between the mind, body and different levels of awareness.

As these roots may stem from mostly religious origins it is awesome to see how the practice of meditation has evolved.

Understanding the basic principles behind the different practices will allow you to build the perfect meditation program to help fit your desires and life needs.

The meditation mastery plan is the perfect foundation to help educate you on all of the fundamental practices that will get you started on a successful meditation program.

Whether you want to increase your productivity, get better sleep, increase your positive outlook, overcome anxiety, become more relaxed or expand your awareness there are meditative practices to help you focus on all of these areas.

Remember not all meditation practices are the same and offer the same benefits. Learn which ones are right for you and start your practice today.

Sometimes people start a meditation practice thinking that it will fix all mental and physical problems magically. This could not be further from the truth.

Everything has a learning curve. Whether you are learning to ride a bike, sing a song or pick up salsa dancing when you start you do not immediately reap the benefits of the activity.

A common problem that many people have is that they will try something once and if it is not easy they will start looking for a list of excuses as to why they cannot do it.

I don’t have the time

I am distracted too easily

I can’t relax because…

I have never been able to do that

They can do that because…

I am not like them

And the list goes on.

It is easy for people to come up with reasons why they fail or are not good at something. This gives them something to blame rather than looking for the solution making it easier for them to accept.

Meditation Practice does not just make all of this go away…

This is ok. Meditation is expanding your awareness and opening up your minds to see things from many different perspectives. Remember when you were a child seeing things from a different view? Maybe you were watching a butterfly flying through the air noticing every flap of the wings as it flew from one branch to another. As it moved through the air you noticed every background image coming in and out of sight. This was truly experiencing the moment.

Meditation will help you to find more of these moments in your life. Having this calm present focus will help you to see things happening on a subtle level, where if needed they are easier to guide and influence in a positive direction.

The practice of becoming mindful-being present and aware of what is happening in our minds-is freeing.

As you start to see how the mind responds in different situations and your awareness is heightened. It will become easier to understand and navigate sensations, emotions and thoughts more skillfully.

Use meditation to understand and build your awareness and you will find that while it is not a miracle drug it will offer endless benefits on all levels.

The most common reason that keeps people from starting a meditation practice is the belief that they do not have enough time. This 3 minute meditation will show you how time can never be an excuse again.

Everyone has enough time to implement simple active meditation practices in to their life. Active meditations can be done in as little as 3 minutes and will offer endless benefits.

Listen to what a few meditation practitioners had to say about using these simple easy to apply meditation techniques:

“Before I started meditating, I was a mess. My job, living situation, and relationships were all in shambles. I knew I needed a fresh start. I set goals for myself to simplify, but I was still finding myself incredibly scattered mentally.”

“The growth I went through was interesting. Breath training changed me almost immediately. Once you’ve experienced being able to control your state of mind and stress level It’s incredible how free you feel. Anxiety and self-doubts faded and then were gone. There was no therapy involved. I wasn’t even directly intending to change those issues. I didn’t even really know they were something you could change. But then, just by learning to pay deeper attention to what’s really happening and learning how to guide my breath and movement my normal state became calm, at ease. I laugh freely now, even in stressful circumstances.”

“I’ve used meditative breathing techniques to reduce stress at work and at home on multiple occasions. In this day and age we are constantly being bombarded with information and media. Meditation is a great way to unplug and avoid sensory overload.”

As you can see by these examples meditation can offer many different benefits.

In this article I am going to teach you a basic active meditation that is great to help you find your center, reducing stress and releasing tension.

This 3 minute meditation is performed with these simple steps:

1- Location. Anywhere will work and after you have perfected this practice you will find it easy to do in public places as well. The movement in this practice is very subtle so subtle you could be standing next to someone waiting in line at your bank and they would not even know you are using this practice.

That said in the beginning is good to do this as much as possible where you will not be disturbed. It will take a little bit of effort to build the coordination and awareness to experience deeper results.

Once you have the done the meditation for a while it will be easy to use anywhere.

2- Position. You can perform this exercise either in a sitting or standing position.

If sitting make sure you are comfortable and can sit with an erect spine using the least amount of effort possible.

If standing position your feet about hip width apart and parallel. The knees should be slightly bent and as with the sitting position the spine should be relaxed and erect.

3- Breath. Use a natural deep relaxed breath. Inhale and fill the lungs as full as you can without building tension anywhere in the body. Then exhale keeping good alignment and letting all of the muscles in the body sink and relax.

4- Circulation. First establish a relaxed rhythm with your breath. Then at the beginning of your next inhale starting at your tail bone make a soft wave travel up the spine one vertebra at a time all the way to your skull.

Then as you exhale sink letting go of any tension in the body but still maintaining your correct alignment.

5- Duration and repetition. This can be used as a daily reset performing every hour for 2-3 minutes at a time.

It can also be used for longer periods if you have a little extra time or just want to get develop a deeper awareness with your practice.

This is one of many active meditation or reset practices you will learn here with meditation insights.

The awesome thing about these practices is that you can use them to maintain balance throughout the day. If you are stressed you can use a relaxing or centering reset. If you are in need of inspiration or focus you can use an energizing or mental reprogramming reset.

There are hundreds of these reset practices so it is easy to find one that will work for you to help you find balance where ever it is needed.

To learn more about resets or building a meditation program that will fit your life style check out the Meditation Mastery Plan and enter your name and email for a few free video lessons.