Today is all about intention and a quiet mind. Using intention, I was finally able to break through the 217 pound set point. I suspect the addition of green tea to my daily routine may also be having an impact. I’ve read several articles pointing to the benefits of adding green tea to your weight loss regimen, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.
Zero + ; Deuce ; M: 90 ; C: 53 ; P/U: 50 ; W : 4 miles
Health R.O.S.
- Weight: 216.3
- BMI: 29.3
- Fat %: 22.5
I’m happy to report, today is day 90 of my consecutive meditation practice. Making contemplation a daily habit has changed my life positively in so many ways, including the development of a quiet mind. And I have no intention of stopping now. Skipping morning meditation at this point would be akin to skipping my morning coffee. That’s sacrilege! Besides, I savor the silence.
Reflection on my quieter mind this morning is the result of finishing Shoukei Matsumoto’s book A Quiet Mind. The book itself is a very quick read (I finished it in two sittings). I was originally drawn to it by the rather exceptional Japanese watercolor art throughout. I found myself flipping through the book just for the pictures, only coming to its wisdom secondarily.
The realizations we have at each setback will then open up a new path.
– Shoukei Matsumoto, A Quiet Mind
But Matsumoto’s wisdom shines through both in his straight forward approach and applicability to modern challenges like money, social media, and the 24/7 news cycle. Some key takeaways from A Quiet Mind:
- We measure life the same way we measure money: gains versus losses. And we base most of our critical life decisions on this strategy alone.
- When you are swimming in an endless sea of information, at some point the information owns you.
- We must walk the middle path (a big focus of the ReturnOnSobriety blog) between life’s extremes.
- Intoxication is expressly forbidden in Buddhism. I didn’t know that until now.
A Quiet Mind provides useful insights into how to deal with modern life’s endless noise: beeping iPhones, endless traffic, binge streaming, death scrolling, social media, and a negative leaning 24/7 news cycle. It also delves into balancing those influences against our inner worries, insecurities, fears, destructive emotions, and racing thoughts. Throughout the book Matsumoto shares strategies to facilitate a quiet mind while learning to avoid a life of comparison amidst the never ending cacophony of modern society.
Now that I have quieted my mind some, my intention is to achieve a ‘Triple’. The ‘+’ is out of the question, though. I will confront a birthday cake this evening at a friend’s birthday party. It would be rude to not accept delicious cake when offered! Besides, the cake will be a worthy substitution for any beer or wine that will undoubtedly be in good supply.
