The Practice is a way of clearing mental and emotional space so you can root yourself in the present moment, experience gratitude and serve with loving kindness along the way. No matter how life shows up, a Practice that does this for you, can free you from suffering and create an opening for you to experience joy and peace while you serve others.
practice
In this installment, Rick and Keith define a phrase they often talk about in the podcasts – “the practice”. Here they define “the practice” and share about its importance in their lives.
“Every Day Spiritual Practice: Simple Pathways for Enriching Your Life,” Alexander. Here nearly 40 contributors discuss what they do daily to be centered and happy. Creating a home altar, practicing martial arts, mediation, volunteering, fasting, quilting — these are just some of the ways they’ve found to make every day more meaningful and satisfying.
“You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment,” Thich Naht Hanh. This moment is the gateway to enlightenment. It is the only moment we have to be joyful, mindful, and awake. The key is to be there for yourself—to learn to be fully present in your life. In this introduction to the practice of presence, he provides insight on life’s essentials and offers a range of simple, everyday practices for cultivating mindfulness.
“Holding Space: A Guide to Supporting Others While Remembering to Take Care of Yourself First,” Hope. This book helps us learn how to honor our own needs and boundaries first, so that we can be of even greater service to ourself and the world around us as we hold space either personally, or professionally.
“Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds,” Goggins. For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare – poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world’s top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him The Fittest (Real) Man in America.
In Can’t Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.
In this episode, Rick and Keith discuss the importance of addressing the valleys and challenges of life from a place of acceptance and love. Ignoring or reacting to “life’s valleys” from a place of resistance, only leads to suffering. And while the hills or life’s good times are more fun, the growth is in dealing with the valleys. Be sure to attend to those for a peaceful life.
“Quincy” Netflix link: https://www.netflix.com/title/80102952
“Quincy” is a 2018 American documentary film about the life of American record producer, singer and film producer, Quincy Jones. The film was co-written and co -directed by Alan Hicks and Rashida Jones and produced by Paula DuPré Pesmen. The film was released by Netflix on September 21, 2018.
“Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart,” Tara Brach. https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Acceptance-Embracing-Heart. Believing that something is wrong with us is a deep suffering. This suffering emerges in crippling self-judgments and conflicts in our relationships, in addictions and perfectionism, in loneliness and overwork—all the forces that keep our lives constricted and unfulfilled. Radical Acceptance offers a path to freedom, including the day-to-day practical guidance developed over Dr. Brach’s twenty years of work with therapy clients. Step by step, she leads us to trust our innate goodness, showing how we can develop the balance of clear-sightedness and compassion that is the essence of Radical Acceptance. Radical Acceptance does not mean self-indulgence or passivity. Instead it empowers genuine change: healing fear and shame and helping to build loving, authentic relationships. When we stop being at war with ourselves, we are free to live fully every precious moment of our lives.
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.
It’s human nature to want life to be easy. And if change is required, we want it to be painless. That’s hardly ever the case. Changes takes work and consistent effort. The sooner we accept this, the better our experience is as we do the important work that’s required for a meaningful and peaceful life. Accept that changes takes effort.
Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning. The theme of the book is that no matter how difficult your life, circumstances have only the meaning we give them. We usually cannot control what comes our way but we always have the choice of how to react. Hint: judging something “good” or “bad” gets you nowhere.
Sedona Illuminate Film Festival. Annual 4 day movie festival featuring about 30 full length films from around the world, each with an uplifting, inspiring or life changing message. Most of the filmmakers, actors, producers are on site to discuss their films with the audience. See, www.illuminatefilmfestival.com.
“Morning Miracle.” A film by Nick Conedera (who is currently living in his van) featured at this year’s Illuminate Film Festival. Hal Elrod has an ambitious goal: To “elevate the consciousness of humanity, one morning at a time.” He gets waylaid, however, when doctors diagnose an aggressive form of cancer and give him a 30 percent chance of surviving. Hal turns that 30 into 100 with his “miracle morning” routine, now a best-selling book of life-changing practices. SAVERS= Silence (meditation or prayer); Affirmations; Visualization; Exercise; Reading and Scribing (journaling).
The verdict is in. For sustainable results and lasting success, it’s important to make the actions you take to accomplish your goals a practice and not a checkbox. Some people resist this truth. But, individuals who have a track record of being at the top of their game over a long period of time, embrace it. [Read more…] about It’s Practice, Not A Checkbox