47 Daydreams, worry, and feeling judged

No. 47 – 27 Oct 2023

Welcome to the 47th edition of the True Progress Newsletter, a weekly newsletter on building resilience.

Article

The 8 mental shifts to falling in love with stress and living out your daydream.

Read more

Quote

Mark Twain, on worry:

"I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened."

Insight

How Shaolin monks achieve inner peace (anyone can do it):

They finger-punch trees. They break stones in half with their bare hands. They balance their bodies on sharp spears. They bend metal pipes with their heads. They’re some of the hardest humans alive. How do they do it?

Recluse from pleasures, discipline, early rising, and sitting meditation of course. But their real secret? Martial arts, in their case, Shaolin kung fu. Why? Two words: body awareness.

Shaolin monks understand that fortifying the mind starts with body awareness. The key to developing body awareness lies in a set of principles to be learned and practiced.

Principle 1 — breathe

Breathing that’s not in sync with the body causes the body to tense up. Without relaxed breathing, nothing works. You gas out, can’t think clearly, don’t really know where you are. Stop and get your breathing right.

Mindful inhales and exhales is all you need to put your body back in sync with your mind. Calm breathing precedes clear thinking and action.

Principle 2 — your center

In Japanese martial arts, it’s called the hara, the area just below the belly button. It’s the center of gravity and center of the body. Being centered means being physically balanced with good posture.

Good posture means shoulders upright, hips above the legs, arms relaxed, knees slightly bent (not locked). Being aware of all these small details is mindfulness in practice.

Principle 3 — action/reaction (requires partner)

In judo, like in dancing, there’s a principle called action/reaction. It involves proper timing and feeling the other person’s energy. Next time you find yourself dancing with a partner, play with timing and see what happens.

Beautiful effects — peel the onion

Over time, with enough body awareness, you start to peel away the tension in your body until you get closer to your true nature. Your true nature is one that’s relaxed during tough times, able to think and feel, and be in the present moment.

Emotion Signpost

Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.

It's key to building resilience, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of yourself and others.

Here are 2 to explore:

Humiliated

Definition | To feel ashamed and foolish by having one's dignity and self-respect injured, especially publicly.

Origin | From late Latin humiliat- 'made humble'; the original meaning was 'bring low'.

Judged

Definition | Receiving an opinion or conclusion from someone.

Origin | From Old French juger.

Question

Positive experiences fuel optimistic thinking. Optimistic thinking fuels your resilience and recharges the soul.

What gives you joy and hope? What makes you see your problems in a different light and alleviates their severity?

Review these answers regularly and create more of these experiences.

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Till next week,
— Carlos & Stef

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48 Hemingway's advice, gratitude, and power of relationships

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46 Fleeting happiness and inner tyrant