The Secret to Overcoming Your Limiting Beliefs
Episode #7 of the course How to be happy now … not “then” by Colin Triplett
Welcome back!
How did your one-minute meditation go? Hopefully, it was easier than you thought, especially now that you have the right expectations!
Today, we are going to expand on how to get your mind right, because while meditation is great, it is best understood as the practice, not the game.
The game is real life.
Anyone can sit in a room and listen to their breath. There is no risk, no consequences. But life does not happen in isolation. Life is messy and confusing and has all types of challenges.
The key to creating true happiness in your life is to take the principles of meditation and apply them to things that come up in your daily life.
Happiness, while seemingly elusive, is actually quite simple to reach.
You just have to let go.
Let go of your ego.
Let go of your identity.
Let go of how you think things should be.
When you let go, there is nothing that can faze you. You can see everything objectively and act in whatever way you feel is right.
It’s an incredibly powerful and life-giving way to be, but it’s going to take work to get there.
Learning to Let Go
To “let go,” you can take the same principles from meditation and apply them to your daily interactions. Here is what it would look like:
Step 1. Something happens. You are stuck behind a slow driver, and you start to get frustrated: “It’s the pedal on the right!”
Step 2. Witness your thoughts. Step back and look at your thoughts. See that you are getting upset.
Step 3. Relax. Focus on your breath and relax away from your thoughts. Accept the situation for what it is, and stop trying to control it or judge it.
Step 4. Repeat. When your frustration rises, repeat the process.
You may remember from Lesson 4 that the reason it is so hard for you to be happy is that you have decided that X needs to happen, while Y needs to be avoided.
In this process, we start letting go of each of our thoughts, one by one. It’s the perfect system because you don’t have to think about what you need to let go: Life will show you.
Upset about something? That is what you need to work on letting go of.
Doesn’t Anything Matter?
As soon as I start talking to someone about letting go, they have this question: “If I just accept everything and ‘let go’ of everything that I like or don’t like, how will I accomplish anything? Won’t I just get taken advantage of? Aren’t I just going to sit on the couch all day long?”
I had to work through all these questions myself, so I know how you feel!
So, here is the number-one reason that you should trust that this approach works: You are not a loser.
People often say, “If I don’t worry about my work/kids/wife, then I won’t do any of the things I need to do.” But this is 100% false because humans (you included!) are biologically wired to help others. It is in our DNA.
The trick here is that by letting go, you replace worry with creativity, fear with enthusiasm, stress with love.
Why is it that when you volunteer, you will work harder and longer for no pay but leave with more energy than you came in with? Because you are acting from a place of love.
The truth is, all the time, energy, and effort you are putting into worrying right now are making you a worse spouse, parent, or employee.
Take that away and your true, awesome self will shine.
So, today, practice letting go. Tomorrow, we will dive deeper into what life starts looking like when you are able to let go.
To Your Happiness,
Colin
Recommended audiobook
Living from a Place of Surrender by Michael Singer
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