Many people think life is here to make us happy. Life is here to challenge us and make us conscious. Accepting this changes everything and creates the space for you to see that whatever goes wrong in life becomes the practice for being present, conscious, grateful, kind and a service to yourself and others.
acceptance
The details matter. Whether it be in the paint strokes of a work of art or the way in which you practice your craft, the details matter if you care about quality. The same applies to your life. Listen to Keith and Rick share how you can stay present to the details so you live your best life.
In this episode, the guys share how to move forward when you feel like you have reached a plateau. Sometimes it seems impossible, but there is a way. Listen as Rick and Keith share how.
The key to peace is within. The opening for being free of suffering is within. The opportunity to be happy comes from within. Once you accept that neither people or life need to be a certain way for you to be happy, you have taken the first step to living a peaceful life. It’s normal for our ego to demand people and life meet our expectations. And when those expectations are not met, we experience suffering. The ego tells us the other party or life is responsible for the suffering we feel. That’s not true. It’s our ego and our thoughts that inflict suffering. Once you understand this, you can begin the important work of minimizing ego so consciousness can emerge more fully.
Note: For the Rick and Keith’s conversation about pain and suffering, check out podcast Episode 26: Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is Optional.
Acts of kindness are thoughtful contributions to others. Volunteer work rooted in unconditional love for others supports our communities and improves the world. We think it’s important to ask yourself why you give. Is it because you truly care? Is it because you think it’s the right thing to do? If you were not acknowledged for your kind act, would you still do it? Do you serve from a place that is free of ego? Rick and Keith share how serving others from the deep consciousness within you, you expands your capacity to love, grow and be peaceful.
Most people want to be around positive kind people. And we can easily spot someone who isn’t. It’s a lot more challenging to identify that person if it’s you. Let’s call it a blindspot. In this show, Rick and Keith share how they’ve been troublemakers, the cost of being one and how to go from troublemaker to being positive, kind and loving all the time.
What We Are Reading:
– Naht Hanh, Thich, “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy and Liberation” (1998).
– Harris, “Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics” (2017) News anchor and author of “10% Happier,” Harris outlines meditation methods that focus on inner peace and gratitude, crowding out the need to gossip, blame and argue.
– Cain, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” (2013) Silence as a tool for understanding self and others.
– Reynolds, “Easing Brain Fatigue with a Walk in the Park,” New York Times, March, 2013, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com