Month of May 2021 ends today and has been a month of accomplishments. Irrespective of the lockdowns, hard time with travel restrictions there is a sense of joy and accomplishment. I have been able to write a lot. In fact, at the beginning of this month, I wanted to write more and when I reflect at the end of the month, I have been able to exceed my own expectations.
Be Purpose Driven
The success was not due to goal setting per say. Goals are good but feels more forceful in the short run. Rather to feel energized and passionate, I focused on my purpose. Purpose is a long term goal with few core characteristics
- It is meaningful to you
- It makes a contribution to the world
The purpose gives us a why, a reason to wake up in the morning. For me, writing is an act of giving. It is my way of sharing my experiences with the rest of the world. If at least a few, even one person, gets inspired, that serves my purpose. My purpose is to help people be inspired and empower them to be able to grow. It is my simple way of helping people. This month I was able to write multiple blogs and articles to help fulfil my purpose.
Practice Mindfulness
This month also helped me to be more mindful. Trying mindfulness for 3 to 5 minutes several times every day was a very useful. It helped me dealing with my monkey mind.
I also spend considerable time sitting quiet and let my thoughts flow. This month was filled with ample time to think with a restful mind. Time to think with a relaxed mind is a blessing and is precious. It is extremely helpful for your mental health and in turn leads to physical health.
Find Time to Think
Time to think also helps to get to the depth of various topics you are interested in. Many people in their busy schedule are entangled too much with work and have no time to think. You might wonder what the point of working without thinking. Well, the busy people think of course, but amid the clutter of the monkey mind chatter. And that leads to more work, as you have no time to take a step back and look at the problems that you are trying to solve with a broader mindset. Missing time to think is a major gap in today’s work life. Practicing mindfulness helps you to be in harmony with your monkey mind and create room for you to allow you relax; thus, paving the way to find time to think.
Vesak
This is also the month of Vesak. And I spend some time reading Tripitaka on Buddha’s teachings. I also found that many of the so called “Buddha Quotes” are missing the reference to the origins. Hence, I read into some of Tripitaka online. There are many sites in various languages on Tripitaka which you can Google and find.
Monthly Progress Review
Doing a review of your progress each month is a good practice. Use a simple model for you to review your monthly growth. Some of the elements you could take into account in your review include
- Your purpose
- Accomplishments
- Most joyful
- Highest sense of accomplishment
- Personal Insights
- Projects for next month
- Priorities
Stay Positive
The current time of the pandemic is challenging. The key is to stay positive and hopeful. I read a lot of material on joy, hope, positive news, and positive vibes. In this hard time, there are many stories of courage, heroism, and revival. People around the world have been doing many great projects to help each other in these difficult times. You too can join the party, stay hopeful and positive.
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