Tag: mindfulness

• I have a confession to make (literally)

  

  I’m in the process of becoming Catholic and will get confirmed into the Catholic Church in a couple of weeks’ time. Since I’ve been praying 3 x per day and going to Catholic mass every week, I’ve felt much better in myself, I’ve felt calmer, more forgiving and more at peace.

  I work from home, so going to church and being with people is a great way to get out of the house. Going to Catholic mass after a long day at work is also a great thing to do because it helps me relax and feel more at peace.

  In a chaotic, unpredictable world, practising Catholicism has been a nice refuge against the complexity of life.

  In Catholicism, one of the sacraments is called the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also called confession, and as part of becoming Catholic and being a practising Catholic in general, you need to go to confession and repent your sins.

  You might be wondering, “Why do I need to go to confession and repent my sins? I’m a good person—I’ve never even been to jail!” I have no doubt that you, and most people, have good hearts. But the truth is, we all make mistakes, we all do things we shouldn’t have done, and we’re all flawed—even the most perfect person on the planet has their imperfections.

  I went into the confession booth with my priest and repented my sins

  I’ve never been to jail and overall have been a good law-abiding citizen. But at the same time, I’ve committed each of the seven deadly sins and broken some of the 10 commandments (thankfully not the most serious ones, otherwise I’d be in jail).

  Anyway, I deeply recognise the value of confession because even if we look at it from a secular sense, it acts a bit like therapy.

  For example, in my life, I’ve made many mistakes I’ve regretted and even regretted many of the things I’ve failed to do. Sometimes in the past, these mistakes I’ve made, and sins I’ve committed, have popped into my head, making me feel such guilt.

  Going to confession was a bit like going to talking therapy (I also see a talking therapist every couple of months) because I got all the mistakes and wrongs I’ve committed off my chest, and my local priest gave me some advice on how to make amends for what I’ve done, then he absolved me of my sins completely.

  I left the confession booth feeling like a new person and still do

  When you confess your sins, you’re absolved of them, and you get a spiritual feeling of receiving grace. I left the church feeling amazing. It was like spring cleaning, but for my soul, it felt all properly ordered again and still does.

  Not only do I feel good because my sins have been absolved, but I also feel like a more forgiving person. Because the priest forgives me of my sins, I feel  more like paying it forward and forgiving other people who have wronged me.

  This reminds me of Matthew 6:14:

  “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

  Forgiveness is underrated

  If you’re not Catholic, I recommend you explore the faith because I’ve felt the best spiritually in the past year and a half of practising Catholicism than I have in my whole life.

  But even if you don’t want to explore the Catholic faith, I recommend you practice forgiveness. It will fill you with such peace and will improve your spiritual life immensely. You’ll also be less harsh on yourself when you make mistakes or blunder/ do something you regret.

  Because a lot of the time, how we treat others is identical to how we treat ourselves.

  Don’t believe me? Try this

  One of my favourite books ever is Marcus Aurelius ‘ Meditations. Marcus was the Emperor of Rome and was also a Stoic philosopher. Marcus was also head of the Roman religion at the time (as Emperors were). Meditations is the diary of Marcus Aurelius that he wrote when battling the Germanic tribes, dealing with the Antonine plague and also dealing with the many tough moments that being in charge of the largest empire in the world entails.

  Stoicism is popular these days, but many people don’t see how erudite the Stoics were, especially Marcus Aurelius, who would have had the best education available at a time when some of the wisest and most erudite philosophers were around.

  And that’s why I study Meditations because every time I do, I’m learning how to think like one of the best rulers to ever live and one of the most erudite people ever.

  Marcus constantly goes back to the same idea in Meditations that when we help others, we help ourselves, and when we hurt others, we hurt ourselves.

  So I’ll drive the point home:

  By forgiving others, you will be forgiven and be absolved from the guilt you feel for any wrongs you have committed. Forgiving others is an inherently good thing to do. And when we’re good to others, we’re good to ourselves.

  Never forget this principle.

  Write it on post-it notes and stick them on every wall in every room of your house.

  Anyway, this is just my experience, and I hope you can take something away from it.

  But what do I know?

  God bless.

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  4th Apr 2026

  mindfulness, meditations, philosophy, confession, repentance, spiritual-growth, theology, personal-development, inner-peace

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• You Are Not Your Mind

  Does anxiety and stress sometimes have a hold on you?

  Are you looking for more peace and calm in your headspace?

  If so, then this post might change your life.

  You Are Not Your Mind

  Part of being human is to experience negative thoughts, emotions and feelings.

  However, identifying with these thoughts, feelings, and emotions affects our mental health negatively ( especially negative ones).

  For example, if we tell ourselves, “We’re not good enough,” we’ll start believing it ( if we identify with this thought).

  If we get physical symptoms of an illness, if we identify with our minds, we may overreact and think we have cancer ( when we don’t).

  The key to freeing ourselves from the tyranny of our minds is to not take our thoughts, feelings and emotions too seriously.

  For example, if you have thoughts like “ I’m not good enough” or other self-depreciating thoughts, instead of identifying with them, merely smile when you hear them and realise your mind is automatically creating these thought patterns. We don’t have to identify with them and take them seriously.

  We can let go of unhelpful thoughts and emotions by simply recognising that we have them.

  But suppose we start trying to get into a mental argument with our thoughts. i.e., getting a thought and then getting annoyed at yourself for having it, don’t do that because the mind-made self that you are trying to drop comes in again, albeit through a dissatisfaction with your prior thought.

  The key is to break the vicious thought cycle by simply recognising when thoughts and emotions pop up in your mind and body. You don’t have to get angry or frustrated with your thoughts; you can merely watch them and acknowledge that they are there.

  When you shine the light of consciousness on those unhelpful thoughts and emotions, they soon dissipate.

  To Free Yourself From Your Mind Is To Experience True Peace

  In essence, the practice detailed above is at the heart of meditation.

  Detach from your thoughts, feelings and emotions and stay present.

  Try This 10-Minute Meditation

  • Pick a quiet place where you won’t get distracted.
  • Sit on a chair while maintaining an erect posture.
  • Close your eyes.
  • Focus on the silence surrounding you.
  • When you get thoughts and feelings, acknowledge them non-judgmentally.
  • Don’t get into mental commentary with these thoughts and feelings you experience. Otherwise, the same mind-made self will perpetuate, contrary to meditation’s goal to detach from the mind.
  • After 10 minutes, open your eyes and try to maintain a feeling of peace and presence throughout the day.

  How Detaching From The Mind Helps Me

  I tend to overthink things, and I get into all sorts of mental judo.

  But detaching from my mind allows me to feel peace and bliss in the moment.

  It has also helped me to become more present in everyday life.

  And the more present you are, the more effective you’ll be.

  Conversely, if you think about something that happened in the past and you’re getting stressed about it, these feelings will infect almost everything you do in the present.

  A similar thing happens when we get anxious about the future. If we’re worried that the worst will happen in the future and this is on our minds, giving the present moment our full attention will be more challenging.

  To Detach From Your Mind, Focus On Inner Body Awareness

  If you struggle to detach from your mind and remain present, a helpful tip is to focus on the feelings within your body.

  For example, focus on the feelings in your hands, legs, arms, head, etc.

  By focusing on body awareness, you can divert your focus from mental commentary to the feeling of your body.

  If you maintain this feeling of inner body awareness throughout the day, you’ll stay anchored in the present and in your body, and you won’t get lost in your mind.

  As you go about your day maintain some inner body awareness.

  Think of inner body awareness as the foundation needed to stay present.

  The Bottom Line

  Detaching from your mind is, in my opinion, one of the most helpful things we can learn. Our minds have tremendous power, and if we overthink and let our thoughts and emotions drive everything we do, we’ll be unable to find true peace and become truly present. We should work to attain a mind like water. 

  Unfortunately I know people who have been so identified with their negative thought paterns that their own thoughts have drove them to suicide.

  Learn to take control of your mind before it takes control of you.

  Click here to join my 5-bullet Friday newsletter. Every Friday, I share five thoughts, insights, quotes, products, recommendations, etc. that have helped me and might also help you.

  29th Jun 2025

  and eckhart tolle, Buddhism, eastern philosophy, meditation, mindfulness, the power of now

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• Life’s Short, Stay Present

  Whether you or I like it or not, time will pass.

  We can either use that time to complain.

  Or we can make the most out of it.

  You can either go to the gym, or you can be lazy and lie on the sofa.

  You can either watch the news.

  Or read a good book to improve your mindset and knowledge about life.

  Right now, someone is making the most of life.

  Of course, none of us know exactly who.

  But why can’t that person be you?

  Or take happiness. 

  Someone right now is the happiest person in the world.

  There’s no reason why that person can’t be you, either.

  Seneca said that time is the only commodity we can never get back.

  And it certainly is true.

  When I waste money, I get incredibly annoyed at myself.

  Strangely enough, I get more annoyed when I waste money than when I waste time.

  Which is ludicrous because time is much more valuable than money.

  If time is going to pass anyway, how do we slow it down?

  We can’t, but we can use time productively or unproductively.

  I define wasted time as this.

  Anything that takes you away from what you need to do to be the best version of yourself possible wastes time.

  Pray on your own mortality.

  It sounds morbid to do this, but it works.

  Realise deeply that you could die at any moment (and eventually you will).

  Now, come back to the real world, take what’s left of your life, and live it properly.

  How do we make the most out of the time allotted to us?

  We stay present in the moment.

  We don’t get distracted.

  We don’t do one thing while thinking of the million other things we need to do.

  For example, do you ever get lost in your thoughts?

  So much that someone needs to wake you up from your trance?

  I know I’ve been there.

  The mind is a fireball, and your ego (false sense of self) gets stronger with every thought.

  If you’re not careful, your mind will eat you alive.

  Look at all the people that have sadly committed suicide.

  This is because of the ego.

  The whirlwind of negative thoughts completely takes over the host.

  And this is why it’s essential to detach from your thoughts and feelings.

  There is no better sense of peace than being fully in the present moment and free from your mind.

  When your mind takes over, you waste your life.

  Because you’re not really living, you’re trapped in your mind.

  But when you break free of the chains of the ego. 

  That’s where living really happens.

  I know it isn’t easy to stay present, but you can do it.

  I still struggle with it at times.

  But the main thing is that you keep trying your best to be as present as possible.

  Eventually, you’ll get it.

  Your mind is a tool.

  And you’re in control of it.

  And most importantly, make sure you are living a life you truly want.

  And not living one that:

  Society wants.

  Your friends want.

  Your family want.

  It needs to be you who chooses your life.

  Life is so goddamn short as it is.

  You need to use the time allocated to free yourself.

  Not to be enslaved to someone else’s agenda.

  And if you don’t know what life you want to live.

  Then, read, read, read.

  “The most important skill for getting rich is becoming a perpetual learner “- Naval Ravikant

  And remember.

  Procrastination isn’t such a bad thing.

  Procrastination is your body and mind telling you that you dislike doing something.

  Listen to it.

  Don’t force yourself to do things that you don’t want to.

  Remember, life is short.

  It’s too short to spend your time doing things you hate.

  The ultimate cheat code to never do anything you dislike is the ability to say no to things that don’t interest you or that you could easily do without.

  And remember, if you feel like you’re lost in life or that you are not where you’re meant to be yet, remember this quote:

  “Life really does begin at forty. Up until then, you are just doing research.“ – Carl Jung

  Decide what you want out of your life.

  And go after it.

  Yes, you might find out that this goal no longer interests you.

  But that’s information.

  A bad plan is a million times better than no plan.

  If you make a bad decision, at least you will know what you don’t want in life.

  But this method takes trial and error.

  And most people aren’t willing to fail.

  As a rule of thumb you need to be willing to fail to also be willing to succeed.

  Because if you fail enough times, you’ll eventually succeed.

  It’s really that simple.

  And if you’re scared to fail.

  Don’t be.

  It’s a sign you’re progressing.

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  5th May 2025

  goals, Health, inspiration, life, mental-health, mindfulness

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• How To Dramatically Improve Your Life

  

  It’s all about habits. If we can dramatically improve our habits, we can dramatically improve our lives.

  If you practice the following habits you’ll realise you have everything to gain by doing them and nothing to lose.

  1. Work out 3 times per week– this will strengthen your body and mind and dramatically improve your confidence, where the body goes, the mind will follow. Getting fit will also make you more productive and effective in all areas of your life. Health is wealth, and life isn’t about fitness, but fitness dramatically improves your life. It also teaches you that to get better at something is to get better at anything. If you can dramatically change how your body looks and feels for the better, you might just be able to change your life.
  2. Read 30 minutes per day. The world is overwhelmingly complex, and reading literature helps us make some sense of it all. Reading is also a highly satisfying activity. It’s relaxing and improves your vocabulary and communication skills.
  3. Follow whatever dream you have and see where it takes you if you stick to it for 2 years– I don’t know what your ambition in life is; maybe you don’t know. But if you can start doing that thing for 30 minutes to an hour every day, the results compound over time miraculously. I enjoy writing, so I’m spending 30 minutes to an hour per day writing. Although I don’t get paid for this, writing is a deeply satisfying creative outlet for me. Find your thing. And if you can’t find it, then try a few things until you stumble upon it.
  4. Save and invest – here’s an example of how effective investing can be. Say you earn £2000 per month and invest 10% per month of this (£200) in the S&P 500 index fund ( the top 500 companies in America) then this, on average, has a 10–12% return of interest. So if you started investing now, then in 30 years, you’d have almost £500,000. Which is a sizable nest egg. In the next 2 years, if you learn this vital habit, it will set you up for life. Ideally, you’d invest more.
  5. Meditation – I recently watched a video with Billionaire Ray Dalio and film producer Martin Scorsese, and they both discuss how beneficial meditation has been in their lives. Ray Dalio says it’s the greatest gift he could give anyone. Meditation helps you maintain a state of equanimity and balance. So that you can make better decisions in life (and under pressure), it helps you get in touch with your subconscious mind, which is where creativity comes from and a lot of your wants, desires, dislikes, etc. come from; if we can get in touch with our unconscious, we can win at life. Meditation is extremely effective.

  13th Mar 2025

  Health, meditation, mental-health, mindfulness, wellness

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