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The Power of Presence: How to Live in the Moment and Reduce Stress
In today's fast-paced world, it can be difficult to find peace and tranquility. We're constantly bombarded with information and distractions, which can lead to anxiety, stress, and overthinking. But what if there was a way to find inner peace and calm, even in the midst of chaos?
In this video, I'll be discussing the key principles from the book "Keep Calm: 102 Pieces of Wisdom to Find Peace, Stop Overthinking, and Carry On With Your Life." We'll explore topics such as:
- Understanding the root of your anxiety and stress
- Mastering your inner voice
- Cultivating a sense of mental distance
- The power of positive thinking
- Finding balance between your needs and wants
- Living in the present moment
- Overcoming fear and uncertainty
- Finding your default state of happiness
I'll also share practical tips and techniques that you can use to apply these principles in your own life. By the end of this video, you'll have a better understanding of how to find peace and calm, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Transcript
KEEP CALM:
Speaker:102 Pieces of Wisdom to Find Peace,
Speaker:Stop Overthinking,
Speaker:and Carry On With Your Life (The Path to Calm Book 18)
Speaker:Written by
Speaker:Nick Trenton, narrated by russell newton.
Speaker:Chapter 1 .- The Power of Considering
Speaker:Alternative Explanations “Most
Speaker:misunderstandings in the world could be
Speaker:avoided if people would simply take the
Speaker:time to ask,
Speaker:"What else could this mean?"
Speaker:―Shannon L. Alder In the hustle and
Speaker:bustle of our daily lives,
Speaker:it's all too easy to fall into the trap
Speaker:of quick judgments and assumptions.
Speaker:Misunderstandings abound,
Speaker:and they often stem from a lack of
Speaker:willingness to explore alternative
Speaker:perspectives and intentional pauses.
Speaker:Shannon L. Alder's wise words urge us
Speaker:to pause and ask ourselves,
Speaker:"What else could this mean?"
Speaker:Most of us are good at asking “What
Speaker:could this mean?” but we stumble when
Speaker:we latch on to the first or only answer
Speaker:to the question.
Speaker:By simply asking what else an event
Speaker:could mean,
Speaker:we can unlock a world of possibilities
Speaker:and maintain a balanced perspective
Speaker:even in the face of negative events and
Speaker:create a healthy space between our
Speaker:experiences and reactions.
Speaker:In that space we can grow,
Speaker:fix problems,
Speaker:create,
Speaker:or become the better version of
Speaker:ourselves we know we can be.
Speaker:Ask “What Else Could This Mean?”
Speaker:When faced with a negative event or an
Speaker:ambiguous situation,
Speaker:our default response is often to latch
Speaker:on to the most convenient or
Speaker:self-serving explanation.
Speaker:And the most convenient explanation,
Speaker:by the way,
Speaker:isn’t necessarily one that
Speaker:•Helps Us,.
Speaker:•Accurately Reflects The World,
Speaker:Or.
Speaker:•Makes Us Feel Good.
Speaker:It’s just the one that fits the frame
Speaker:of mind we’re already occupying.
Speaker:If your frame of mind is blind panic
Speaker:and terror when someone points a knife
Speaker:at you,
Speaker:you’ll probably decide it means they
Speaker:want to kill you.
Speaker:But it’s only when you ask,
Speaker:“What else could it mean?” that you
Speaker:are able to see that they’re just
Speaker:offering you a tool to help you cut the
Speaker:carrots for the soup you’re both
Speaker:making.
Speaker:Let’s consider a more everyday
Speaker:scenario .- A close friend cancels
Speaker:plans at the last minute.
Speaker:What does it mean?
Speaker:If you’re in a particular mindset,
Speaker:it’s proof that nobody loves you.
Speaker:But instead of jumping to conclusions
Speaker:and assuming they no longer value your
Speaker:friendship,
Speaker:we could entertain the possibility that
Speaker:they might be facing unexpected
Speaker:personal challenges or simply need some
Speaker:time for self-care.
Speaker:They could have an emergency on their
Speaker:hands or be ill.
Speaker:Who knows,
Speaker:they could be making soup!
Speaker:In moments of criticism or rejection,
Speaker:it's easy to internalize these
Speaker:experiences as reflections of our worth.
Speaker:Yet,
Speaker:by practicing the habit of considering
Speaker:alternative explanations,
Speaker:we can protect ourselves from blindly
Speaker:believing the worst possible
Speaker:interpretations.
Speaker:Maybe you’re a total failure and
Speaker:about to get fired any minute now ...or
Speaker:maybe your boss has a point and him
Speaker:pointing out that you were late that
Speaker:morning doesn’t mean you’re a bad
Speaker:human being.
Speaker:By incorporating the question "What
Speaker:else could this mean?" into our daily
Speaker:lives,
Speaker:we nurture a habit of seeking multiple
Speaker:perspectives.
Speaker:This habit helps us transcend our
Speaker:initial reactions,
Speaker:fostering a more balanced and
Speaker:empathetic understanding of negative
Speaker:events.
Speaker:In turn,
Speaker:we can approach life with a greater
Speaker:sense of presence and embrace the
Speaker:possibilities that lie beyond our
Speaker:immediate interpretations.
Speaker:Slowing Down For Mindful Living.
Speaker:In our fast-paced world,
Speaker:where instant reactions and impulsive
Speaker:decisions often take the forefront,
Speaker:it is crucial to cultivate the skill of
Speaker:slowing down the processing time
Speaker:between experiencing something and
Speaker:reacting to it.
Speaker:Basically,
Speaker:you can’t ask,
Speaker:“What else does this mean?”—or
Speaker:anything else,
Speaker:for that matter—if you don’t give
Speaker:yourself a few moments to do so before
Speaker:reacting.
Speaker:By extending this space,
Speaker:we create room for mindfulness and
Speaker:intentional living,
Speaker:ultimately allowing us to be more
Speaker:present,
Speaker:less anxious,
Speaker:and less prone to overthinking. Think
Speaker:of a passing comment that triggers a
Speaker:negative emotional response.
Speaker:Instead of immediately lashing out or
Speaker:retreating into a shell of
Speaker:defensiveness,
Speaker:we can choose to slow down.
Speaker:In moments of stress or pressure,
Speaker:our natural inclination is often to
Speaker:react swiftly,
Speaker:driven by our fight-or-flight instincts.
Speaker:Emotion is lightning quick and
Speaker:automatic;
Speaker:careful consideration takes a little
Speaker:longer.
Speaker:By intentionally slowing down the
Speaker:processing time,
Speaker:we gain the power to respond
Speaker:thoughtfully rather than impulsively.
Speaker:For example,
Speaker:imagine receiving an urgent work email
Speaker:that triggers feelings of overwhelm and
Speaker:anxiety.
Speaker:Instead of immediately plunging into a
Speaker:frenzy of frantic multitasking,
Speaker:we can take a few mindful breaths and
Speaker:ask ourselves,
Speaker:"What else could this mean?"
Speaker:This pause allows us to breathe before
Speaker:making deliberate choices that align
Speaker:with our values and well-being.
Speaker:Slowing down the processing time is
Speaker:particularly crucial in our digital
Speaker:age,
Speaker:where information bombards us
Speaker:incessantly.
Speaker:When encountering news or social media
Speaker:posts that evoke strong emotions,
Speaker:instead of instantly reacting or
Speaker:sharing our immediate thoughts,
Speaker:we can practice a mindful pause.
Speaker:Slowing down the processing time in the
Speaker:face of provocative content helps us
Speaker:avoid unnecessary conflict and be in
Speaker:the present moment.
Speaker:A big surprise when trying out this
Speaker:practice is that some things don’t
Speaker:actually mean anything.
Speaker:In other words,
Speaker:a trigger can float by and grab our
Speaker:attention,
Speaker:but that doesn’t mean we have to
Speaker:react,
Speaker:and it certainly doesn’t mean we have
Speaker:to react in a pre-destined way.
Speaker:We don’t have to accept it or push
Speaker:against it—we can simply choose to
Speaker:detach and place our attention
Speaker:elsewhere.
Speaker:In our personal relationships,
Speaker:the practice of slowing down our
Speaker:processing time is an invaluable tool
Speaker:for reducing misunderstandings.
Speaker:Imagine how many interpersonal
Speaker:arguments you could defuse by simply
Speaker:pausing and choosing not to react.
Speaker:Imagine how many stressful rabbit
Speaker:holes,
Speaker:tangents,
Speaker:and unnecessary trains of thought you
Speaker:could avoid if you merely pause long
Speaker:enough to say,
Speaker:“Wait,
Speaker:do I even want to go there?"
Speaker:Chapter 2 .- Sometimes You Shouldn’t
Speaker:Keep “Looking Within” "A person who
Speaker:thinks all the time has nothing to
Speaker:think about except thoughts.
Speaker:So,
Speaker:he loses touch with reality and lives
Speaker:in a world of illusions."
Speaker:—Alan Watts Digital buzz and constant
Speaker:chatter—our world is awash with
Speaker:perpetual distractions,
Speaker:a cacophony of beeps and notifications.
Speaker:It's a place where the art of
Speaker:self-reflection often becomes a
Speaker:refuge—a sanctuary to which we
Speaker:retreat,
Speaker:seeking solace amidst the relentless
Speaker:noise.
Speaker:As the renowned philosopher Alan Watts
Speaker:astutely observed,
Speaker:an unbridled fixation on introspection
Speaker:can lead us astray,
Speaker:causing us to lose touch with reality
Speaker:and plunge headlong into a world of
Speaker:illusions.
Speaker:Striking the delicate equilibrium
Speaker:between delving into our inner selves
Speaker:and engaging with the external world is
Speaker:the cornerstone of a life marked by
Speaker:presence,
Speaker:reduced anxiety,
Speaker:and liberation from overthinking.
Speaker:Balancing Introspection And External
Speaker:Experiences.
Speaker:While introspection holds the key to
Speaker:understanding our motivations,
Speaker:fears,
Speaker:and dreams,
Speaker:an excess of it can pull us out of
Speaker:reality's embrace.
Speaker:Just like a pendulum,
Speaker:swinging too far toward constant
Speaker:self-analysis can lead to a life spent
Speaker:outside the vibrant tapestry of the
Speaker:present moment.
Speaker:We become ensnared in our thoughts,
Speaker:trapped in a maze of our own making.
Speaker:It's a paradox .- The more we dwell on
Speaker:our thoughts,
Speaker:the more detached we become from the
Speaker:very experiences that give rise to
Speaker:those thoughts.
Speaker:Imagine a child tells his dad he is
Speaker:afraid of a monster under their bed.
Speaker:The dad,
Speaker:trying his best,
Speaker:sits down and addresses the problem.
Speaker:He makes a compelling rational argument
Speaker:for why there couldn’t logically be a
Speaker:monster,
Speaker:and even if there was,
Speaker:there are a dozen contingency plans for
Speaker:what they’d do to manage it.
Speaker:The dad goes on to explain the boy’s
Speaker:deepest unconscious psychological fears
Speaker:and how the monster is just an abstract
Speaker:symbol of the unknown.
Speaker:The boy and his dad talk long into the
Speaker:night,
Speaker:for hours,
Speaker:about the philosophical and
Speaker:metaphysical ramifications of the
Speaker:monster myth,
Speaker:and what it represents both politically
Speaker:and culturally,
Speaker:and how they are going to rewrite that
Speaker:fear narrative,
Speaker:reclaim the word “monster,” and
Speaker:release blocked psychic and libidinal
Speaker:energy and channel it into the tasks of
Speaker:mastery that reflect the child’s
Speaker:developmental crises.
Speaker:The child is still afraid of what’s
Speaker:under the bed,
Speaker:though.
Speaker:The next day,
Speaker:his mom impatiently tells the boy to
Speaker:just look under the bed himself.
Speaker:“Is there a monster there?"
Speaker:“I guess not."
Speaker:Thinking helps us solve problems.
Speaker:Overthinking is a problem.
Speaker:Consider a scenario where you've spent
Speaker:hours dissecting a conversation you had
Speaker:with a colleague.
Speaker:You've parsed every word,
Speaker:every nuance,
Speaker:to the point where the actual moment
Speaker:has blurred into a haze of overthinking.
Speaker:Meanwhile,
Speaker:your colleague has moved on,
Speaker:engrossed in new conversations and
Speaker:experiences.
Speaker:The excessive introspection,
Speaker:while well-intentioned,
Speaker:has distanced you from the tangible
Speaker:world—from the laughter echoing in
Speaker:the hallway,
Speaker:the aroma of coffee wafting from the
Speaker:break room,
Speaker:the real connections being forged in
Speaker:the present.
Speaker:Similarly,
Speaker:imagine a traveler who meticulously
Speaker:plans every detail of their journey
Speaker:before even setting foot on the path.
Speaker:They've studied the maps,
Speaker:read reviews,
Speaker:and crafted an intricate itinerary.
Speaker:Yet,
Speaker:when they finally embark,
Speaker:the world surprises them with
Speaker:unforeseen vistas,
Speaker:unexpected detours,
Speaker:and the magic of spontaneous encounters.
Speaker:The traveler who lives solely in their
Speaker:plans misses out on the essence of
Speaker:travel itself—the act of surrendering
Speaker:to the unknown,
Speaker:letting go of rigid expectations,
Speaker:and embracing the beauty of unscripted
Speaker:moments.
Speaker:In the pursuit of balance,
Speaker:we must weave introspection into the
Speaker:fabric of our lives without allowing it
Speaker:to unravel the threads of reality.
Speaker:We can cultivate mindfulness by
Speaker:engaging our senses in the
Speaker:present—feeling the earth beneath our
Speaker:feet,
Speaker:savoring the flavors of a meal,
Speaker:and truly listening to the stories of
Speaker:others.
Speaker:This reconnection with the tangible
Speaker:world invites us to be active
Speaker:participants in the narrative of life,
Speaker:rather than mere spectators lost in the
Speaker:labyrinth of our thoughts.
Speaker:Defending Against Negative
Speaker:Self-Deception.
Speaker:In our journey toward self-improvement
Speaker:and mindful living,
Speaker:we often tread the delicate line
Speaker:between self-reflection and
Speaker:self-deception.
Speaker:The human mind is a master of
Speaker:constructing narratives,
Speaker:especially ones that serve to shield us
Speaker:from discomfort or accountability.
Speaker:We can easily slip into a state of
Speaker:negative self-deception—a mental
Speaker:terrain where we justify our inaction,
Speaker:rationalize our shortcomings,
Speaker:and create elaborate stories to avoid
Speaker:confronting our own limitations.
Speaker:It's a refuge that feels safe but
Speaker:ultimately robs us of the chance to
Speaker:confront our fears and grow from them.
Speaker:We may convince ourselves that we’re
Speaker:doing something or solving problems,
Speaker:all while we are really doing nothing.
Speaker:Imagine someone striving to launch
Speaker:their own business.
Speaker:They spend months perfecting their
Speaker:product,
Speaker:crafting marketing strategies,
Speaker:and building an online presence.
Speaker:Yet,
Speaker:as launch day approaches,
Speaker:a nagging self-doubt creeps in.
Speaker:Instead of facing this uncertainty
Speaker:head-on,
Speaker:they distract themselves with busy
Speaker:work,
Speaker:convince themselves that the timing
Speaker:isn't right,
Speaker:and meticulously plan every detail to
Speaker:evade the risk of failure.
Speaker:While it may seem like they're being
Speaker:meticulous,
Speaker:they're actually trapped in a web of
Speaker:self-deception—an illusion that
Speaker:shields them from the vulnerability of
Speaker:facing potential setbacks.
Speaker:How do you get real with yourself?
Speaker:Honest conversations with mentors,
Speaker:friends,
Speaker:or peers can offer valuable
Speaker:perspectives that cut through the haze
Speaker:of self-deception.
Speaker:Seeking out constructive criticism and
Speaker:opening ourselves up to vulnerability
Speaker:enables us to see our blind spots and
Speaker:challenge the illusions we create.
Speaker:It's a humbling process that requires
Speaker:embracing discomfort.
Speaker:Sometimes,
Speaker:however,
Speaker:we need to just look under the bed!
Speaker:This has been
Speaker:KEEP CALM:
Speaker:102 Pieces of Wisdom to Find Peace,
Speaker:Stop Overthinking,
Speaker:and Carry On With Your Life (The Path to Calm Book 18) Written by
Speaker:Nick Trenton, narrated by russell newton.
