The Art of Bouncing Back.

Life is going to happen to us all at some point; it is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when. The key to navigating life’s rollercoaster is managing the transitions effectively. Whether it is a job loss, losing a loved one, relationship heartbreak, divorce, financial issues or a host of other challenges that we all face at some point in life. It sucks to be at the receiving end of the vicissitudes of life, but one has got to go through the pain, learn from the situation, recalibrate and keep bouncing back. One of the major lessons of meditation is impermanence, the state of things lasting for a while. Everything is always in transition, the seasons and your issues, and they have not come to stay but to teach you the lesson that you need to learn at that time. Don’t let success get to your head, and do not let failure get into your heart.

It is okay to be distracted sometimes but get back on track. It is okay to be in a slum and not go at the moment you want; realign your purpose and keep moving. According to Psychology Today, ¹ Resilience is the psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before. Rather than letting difficulties, traumatic events, or failure overcome them and drain their resolve, highly resilient people find a way to change course, emotionally heal, and continue moving toward their goals.

Successful people demonstrate their resilience through their dedication to making progress every day, even if that progress is marginal.― Jonathan Mills

There are two levels to belief. There’s the surface level, which our coaches, teachers, therapists, and parents love to preach. “Believe in yourself,” they all say, as if the thought alone can keep us afloat when the odds are against us in the battle of our lives. But once exhaustion sets in, doubt and insecurity tend to penetrate and dissipate that flimsy brand of belief.

Then there’s the belief born in resilience ². It comes from working your way through layers of pain, fatigue, and reason, and ignoring the ever-present temptation to quit until you strike a source of fuel you didn’t even know existed. One that eliminates all doubt, makes you certain of your strength and the fact that eventually, you will prevail, so long as you keep moving forward. That is the level of belief that can defy the expectations of scientists and change everything. It’s not an emotion to be shared or an intellectual concept, and nobody else can give it to you. It must bubble up from within.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.–Helen Keller

Meditations

Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – Bubbles

The human brain is one of the most stunning things in the known universe. Our brains are a great evolutionary gift, but paradoxically, our minds are the source of much of our suffering. Left alone in our minds, we can easily devolve into a hurricane of negative thoughts. Negative thoughts lead to a negative emotion, which causes an even worse thought, which leads to self-judgment and shame. The key is to see a separation between ourselves and our thoughts. We have thoughts, but we are not our thoughts.

By separating from our thoughts and observing them in a non-judgmental, impersonal way, we can avoid the disruptive hurricane effect of our thoughts. So, having thoughts, even negative ones, doesn’t have to cause much mental and emotional suffering. Thoughts are a part of being human, they can be inspiring and world changing. Instead of erasing thoughts from our minds, the goal of mindfulness is to be aware of our thoughts. To separate from them and allow them to run their cause and evaporate without descending into a suffering storm.

Thoughts are bubbles that are waiting to be popped by awareness. And once they’re popped, the negative emotion often associated with our thoughts will similarly disappear into the thinness of the air. -Jon Kabat-Zinn

Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – Savor the Moment

Daily Trip with Jeff Warren – Reserve the Current

In life, we can focus on something very stressful, like ruminating on the same worry 500 times, or we can focus on something nourishing, like pausing to smell a fresh spring flower. We can choose not to focus at all, reverse the current, and let the world flow into us, letting it touch us and carry us.

Podcast