HAPPY BY DEFAULT VIA "MINDS"

HAPPY BY DEFAULT VIA MINDS^TM

(Life Coaching Series)

In the arena of self-improvement, one can find myriad solutions to suit everyone’s needs and interests. Beginning from the 1930s with concepts like “Pragma-Psychics” to “Psycho-Kinesis” and advancing to the 1970s with new age theories like “Holistic Medicine” to “Transcendental Meditation” and almost reaching a dead-end by the 1990s with newer techniques like “Silva Mind Control”; mankind has witnessed a great leap forward in the awareness of the human consciousness. The sole purpose for any individual is “to be happy” and with the dawn of realization and to achieve this one goes about seeking for solutions and guidance everywhere.

Of course, we have witnessed three industrial revolutions and are in the midst of the fourth one. Though, the manner in which we lead our lives has been made far easier than the pre-modernization era with the advancement of technology and growth of civilization; we are still at loggerheads with our own being. We seek for external pleasure rightly so as part of our innate nature but forget that such pastures cannot be permanent. When we are hindered on our path, we search for quick-fixes and get back to our rudimentary ways of living. If we are to find any concrete solace, we need to understand that our existence is pre-occupied by our own sensory perceptions. A brief description of the same is provided below:

💢👀  Visual:

What do we see day-by-day? How do we make sense of it? Are we influenced too much by visual experiences? Do we crave to see something specific? What usually occurs is that we may indulge in binge-watching while totally ignoring our real life surroundings. We might cry with the actor in a series but forget to notice the sadness on the face our child.

💢👂  Auditory:

Whatever a human being speaks or hears i.e. words affect our mental health and performance. Generally, we constantly keep filtering the words that we hear i.e. whatever others say; all the while ignoring whatever comes out of our own mouth. The difference in the level of filtering between the input and output, leads to conflict in our minds.

💢🤚  Kinesthetic:

One of the most ignored sensory inputs is what we feel through touch. How comfortable our immediate environment is? Do we abhor being near someone? Do we crave to be physically near someone? Is the chair that we sit upon conducive to our health? What about our posture? Are we physically active or leading our lives as a couch potato? These are some of the critical questions that we need to ask ourselves.

💢👃  Olfactory:

Aroma affects our mood and can be used for healing too. Whatever we smell does affect our overall sense of comfort. From exhaust pollution to exquisite perfumes, we face a wide range of possibilities in our day-to-day lives. Our disposition can get changed with a slight change in the atmosphere.

💢👅  Gustatory:

Last but not the least; our taste buds trigger certain feelings within us. One must know that, our tongue tastes all the time and not just when we open our mouth to eat. It is not an exaggeration but a fact that even a slight change in the external environment can be felt through taste. Just like smell, our mood can get affected by taste even when there is no emanating smell. 

All of this leads to one major problem of the 21^st century i.e. “Emotional Bankruptcy”. We spend a lot of time each day with negative feelings either directly or indirectly. On one hand our negative emotions require adequate venting while on the other hand our mind craves for more emotional experience which we try to satisfy through addictive habits. When we are unable to achieve this, feelings of depression, frustration, irritation, anger etc. take shape. These are on the rise in this modern world. In the wake of COVID-19 era, the same has been amplified.     

A list of new age problems is provided below:

💢  Stress

💢  Anxiety

💢  Depression

💢  Fear

💢  Irritation

💢  Anger

💢  Frustration

💢  Procrastination

💢  Overwork

💢  Information overload

💢  Performance pressure

💢  Peer pressure

💢  Interpersonal conflicts

A few statistical charts are provided below to make you aware of the prevalent scenario:

The questions that we all need to ask ourselves are:

💢  Are we productive 24x7?

💢  Are we calm 365 days a year?

💢  Are we stress-free most of the time?

💢  Do we manage our engagements with zero conflict?

💢  Do we conduct regular self-introspection?

💢  Do we effectively manage our time?

💢  Do we spend all of our energy on productive tasks?

💢  Are we performing to the best of our abilities?

💢  Is there no room for improvement?

💢  Do we not ponder in hindsight on how things could have been better?

This is a universal problem that needs to be addressed immediately if we are to lead our lives with full potential. Try to answer the below questions honestly for your own self-assessment:

💢  When was the last time you were really happy…happy from inside out (not that smiley face with grumpy feelings within)?

💢  When did you last feel real empathy for a person or situation (no diplomatic answers please)?

💢  Do you remember your last best performance (not referring to acting skills)?

💢  Have you ever counted the number of times you get put-off each day for petty reasons (22 seconds attention space to 14 minutes attention span..did you know)?

💢  Have you ever tracked your rate of procrastination (well, no one is productive for 8 full hours everyday..but)?

💢  Have you ever noticed how a child remains happy for no apparent reason (no, you are not a child anymore..but)?

The moot point here is that – “STRESS” does not build up in a day. STOP the domino effect now!

Before trying to attack the problem, one needs to understand the root cause of it as shown below:

The core philosophy behind my method is:

Here, I present you with a method called MINDS^TM that can make you “HAPPY BY DEFAULT”:

💢 Mindfulness

It is a natural state of heightened awareness of the present moment without being judgmental, overly reactive or overwhelmed by one’s environment. It is about being in a state of calm by gentle observation of one’s own behavior, thoughts and feelings. What should be natural to us becomes alien with all the pre-conditioning we go through at various stages of life. This state can be brought back through certain techniques borrowed from Tibetan Zen, Buddhism and Vedic Dhyana.   

💢 Ingenuity

This is a skill of being resourceful and original through cleverness, being imaginative, inventiveness, etc. Most of us develop pre-conceived notions or are conditioned to accept things from someone else’s point of view. This leads to us being in constant conflict with ourselves and lose our originality. It can further make us incapable of solving problems and not being able to see reality as it is. The good thing is that it is a skill and can hence be developed via training. 

💢 Neuroplasticity

It is the brain’s capacity to continue growing and evolving in response to life experiences. Everyone has it, but not all can do it willfully. Some become too rigid after a certain age and are averse to change. Some are too fluid and too fickle to be able to form strong neural connections. Both are extremes and most of us fall somewhere in between. Higher the neuroplasticity, higher is the adaptability to different situations. One can with focused effort learn to develop their own neuroplasticity and strengthen their mind. 

💢 Detoxification

In the name of clearing the negativity around and detoxification of your mind, what you are being fed with is more of intoxication. Whatever is being served to you, you consume it with the very same mindset that got you into the problem first. This does not lead to emptiness or clearing the clutter. Detoxification is not a relaxation technique but a conscious effort to develop your internal filters. Your mind is equipped with natural filters that help you in discernment and decision-making. If these filters are too weak, you start making mistakes and jump to conclusions. In this modern age where information is bombarded 24x7, one needs to effectively practice detoxification, in order to lead a fruitful life.

💢 Self-Awareness

It is a lifestyle design tool that enables one to have good knowledge and judgment about oneself. It is a form a leadership too that helps you lead an extremely fulfilling life. Most of us are subliminally influenced by various messages throughout our routines. Being unaware we toe the line and try to conform to whatever the majority does. Self-Awareness is all about breaking those very shackles that bind us from realizing our true potential. It is an invaluable tool towards self-actualization. The best part is that even this can be learnt and practiced easily.  

How does MINDS^TM work?

It utilizes the V-A-K-O-G model to train your mind and optimize your performance thereby increasing the overall quality of life. It is aimed at making you “HAPPY BY DEFAULT”.

 As shown in the above image, each method is mapped to one or more senses where one’s mind can be trained to develop specific sensory experiences to trigger the required emotional experience and vice versa. It is a very fluidic process that first breaks down our mental constructs and then rebuilds it the way one wants. Mind you, it’s not magic and requires a great deal of commitment from you. After all, it is about YOU taking charge over yourself!

 

Please contact the author to know more about how you can benefit from it.