The Perfect Pause Meditation Series (2) - The Company You Keep
I’ve been practicing meditation for almost a quarter of a century now and have learned a few things as a result of it. To say meditation has radically transformed my life would be an understatement. My spiritual journey has taken me from an anxiety ridden person controlled by fear to someone who is excited and empowered by new experiences and takes life as it comes.
If someone were to ask me what the most important thing is they could do to insure mastery of themselves it would be to sit down, close their eyes, and breathe consciously at least once per day.
A close second would be to pay very close attention to the company you keep. In chapter seven of my book, The Perfect Pause, I talk at length about the importance of staying positive and building a network of positive people.
“Tell me who you walk with, and I'll tell you who you are.” - Esmeralda Santiago
Have you ever noticed that some people continually uplift you while others leave you feeling self-conscious, lethargic, and generally bad? Whether we realize it or not, the energy of those we spend time with is transferred to us. Sometimes this transference happens subtly and other times not so subtly.
Ba-Bye!
As I’ve continued on my journey as both a writer and a conscious human being I’ve had to shed many of these negative people in my life. Chronic drama kings/queens, complainers, gossipers, manipulators, liars, and naysayers will all get a very quick “ba-bye” from me.
None of us are perfect, but each and every one of us should be striving to be a better version of ourselves each day. If you see someone around you who appears not to be making an effort and wallowing in chronic negativity it might be time to say goodbye, for your own good. Trying to actively better yourself while being surrounded by negative people is like running a race with lead boots strapped to your feet.
Hello!
I now consciously surround myself with people who inspire me, challenge me, and people who tell me the truth. Sometimes the truth isn’t always what we want to hear but we must learn to check our egos at the door and objectively step outside ourselves and analyse the feedback others give us. I no longer view honest and valid criticism as a stinging insult but rather as a gift to help me develop to my greatest potential.
“I do not want a friend who smiles when I smile, who weeps when I weep; for my shadow in the pool can do better than that.” - Confucius
Being A True Friend
In order to surround yourself with people who are honest with you and lift you to a higher place you must vow to be this same kind of friend. This isn’t as easy as it sounds because society conditions us to mostly be agreeable and nice. Sometimes being a true friend emcompasses telling the truth even if it’s difficult and even if there is a real risk of someone hating you for it. Think about that for a moment.
The Universe Is Your True Sensei
It gives you a great advantage to have a physical teacher or mentor to help shorten the path to your awakening. However, once you are conscious to the wondrous universal presence comprised in each moment of your life something infinitely more vast becomes your true teacher...the entire physical universe. Only after decades of sitting in meditation did I realize this.
At the post-awakening stage life becomes your both your playground and your laboratory to test newfound skills. It’s great fun when you begin to notice that in each moment your physical surroundings are an interactive web of synchronistic events that will present you with puzzles, tests, and experiences that lead you to the next phase of your evolution.
I’ve lived the past few years of my life with this philosophy and have experienced a quantum leap in nearly all aspects of life because of it. The quality of my life has benefited so much that I’m dedicating my entire second meditation book, “The Universe Is Your True Sensei” to explore this concept.
Science is beginning to discover some glimpses that our previous understanding of the universe only scratches the surface of the truth. Some versions of the “infinite universe” or “multiverse” theories speculate that each moment of our existence could be housed in its own separate dimension. If this is true (and I believe it could very well be), we are essentially inter-dimensional travelers that have more control than we think over how events unfold in our lives.
Only in my forties did I begin to understand the depth and true meaning of Shakespeare’s quote, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players...” Could it be possible that this quote has a few layers of alternate meaning and William was even more wise than we give him credit for?
As always, I am thankful for your tremendous support.
Yours in the Chain,
Eric
Please follow our official Steemit account for the film series @hardfork-series. Did you miss our last post? If so CLICK HERE to read it!
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
My book on meditation, The Perfect Pause, is priced at $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook). Buy the paperback and receive the eBook for free!
Connect with Me
To me, what Shakespeare is saying in this very famous line is that we all are not that important and we are not permanent features of the world. This makes sense given what the poem is about. The poem is talking about how people go through various stages of life and eventually become nothing.
By saying that we are all just actors, Shakespeare is emphasizing that we ourselves change over time, playing first one role and then another.
So the major idea here is that, even though we think we are important and permanent, we are not.
I think he deserve it.He is more than wise.
You're right, @pitter, that is definitely what the poem is about. I was hinting at the fact that there may be some alternate meanings to it. Something like....This physical world is a schoolhouse, life is merely a play to teach us... and each person can be both a student and teacher at any given time.
Just before I am ready for bed I thought to take a quick look at my feed.
I say your post and read it thoroughly. I recognize what you wrote. In the Netherlands, we have a saying: "Waar je mee omgaat daar wordt je mee besmet". In English it is something like: you will be infected by who you are dealing with. Or, maybe a better translation; "you will be infected with who you deal with.
It is so important to be a true friend yourself. Also on Steemit btw, because often you get only positive comments, while it is nice to have a 'counter-gas' when that is the case. Maybe that's no English but I mean it is nice to have honest comments.
It is one of the benefits of aging, I understand this kind of thing better now that I am in my sixties than when I was twenty.
I really like the directness of the Dutch culture, @clio. Your son approached me at SteemFest this year in Lisbon and asked why I wasn't as active on Steemit anymore and powering down. At the time we were working hard to prepare the teaser trailer for HardFork and focusing on fundraising but his direct question woke me up to the fact I needed to do a better job of tending to my blog and continuing to cultivate a larger audience here. That's a perfect example of someone being a good friend. Getting older is amazing in some aspects isn't it?
I know he knows that you are working hard for HardFork, he respects you very much. But yes, he is quite direct. Shy when he was a little boy, but that's long over now!
And yes again, it is amazing, I have a lot more patience and I do not get agitated so quickly to name just two things.
Unfortunately, the body does crack a bit more than before:)
I respect him as well. He has such a deep belief in the future of this platform that it's infectious. It's great to see what he's accomplished in this past year.
I find I'm growing more patient too, the only exception (weirdly) is when I'm driving my car. Distracted driving is of epidemic proportions here in the States. Nearly everyone is looking at their phones and drifting from lane to lane while driving.
I know all about the cracking joints! We recently got a new Nectar memory foam mattress that aligns your spine when you lay on it. The first time I laid down on that mattress it sounded like fireworks going off! Lol. Hope your week is going well.
I am not a formal meditation guy, but I do try to still myself at least once a day and just be. Finding a quiet place is sometimes the problem, distractions are everywhere with four kids in the house and noisy hotel rooms when I'm on the road but it is good just to give the mind a break , before we end up breaking it .
To me I do believe that we are in a multi dimensional universe, it is no coincidence that people have dreams and those dreams play out in this dimension. Also other times the dreams can alter how a person reacts as they see the situation unfolding, sixth sense sort of thing.
It is something that has had my interest for some time but I never have worked at it like I should, but never to late to start is what they say.
Shakespeare's words are what ever we interpolate them to be, and I think that is what makes his work so good to withstand the test of time.
Hey, @sultnpapper! The beauty of it is these "mind breaks" don't have to be formal sitting meditation. Back when I worked the day job I had a mile walk to/from my parking lot each day. Those two walks were my meditation and I really looked forward to that every day (unless the temps were below zero).
I think the multiverse theory is correct too. It explains so much. I guess Stephen Hawking's last paper he wrote before he passed was on this subject. I can't wait to read it! One book I recommend is Synchronicity by Dr. Kirby Surprise. He lays out practical ways that you can play around with the multiverse...pretty cool stuff. I bought the audio book so I could listen while at the gym since my time is so limited these days.
Great observation about Shakespeare! Maybe being a little more obtuse as a writer is a good thing!
I will have to look for that book you mentioned, I might be able to see some future poker games and know when to hold em and know when to fold em. I never have tried audio books, they might be good but I enjoy reading the written words, I think it would be easier for memory recall having read, but that is just a guess on my part.
So very true, the company we keep can either have a positive or a negative influence, it's up to us to be strong, walk away and live a fullfilled life!
Nothing wrong with helping people who are struggling with life but when all their negative energy starts weighing you down, it's time to say Ba-bye!
Whenever I'm on a flight at night, I always think how amazing it is to imagine each little light below as the centre of someone's universe.
Further, I can quite believe that it's very likely that we go through various dimensions as we experience life, I call the major events or periods seasons of life but what you said makes perfect sense:
Thank you for the inspiration in this series @ericvancewalton!
I totally agree, @lizelle! It's commendable to help as long as that help isn't enabling toxicity. Thank you for reading and for your thoughtful comments!
Eric, love this post. Firstly, SO excited you are writing a second meditation book and what a great title/premise to explore!
And whew, doesn't this basis for experiencing life make all the difference?!!
Life is certainly an adventure and I'm pleased to say that I too am living it more richly than ever! Cheers!
Thank you, Ruth! I thought for quite a while about the general theme for meditation book #2 and it just recently came to me. You're right, when you live life with the belief that the universe is working in conjunction with you instead of against you it does make a world of difference. I think children "get" this naturally and this is why they live in a state of joy more often than adults. So glad to hear that you're continuing to have fun on your path! Thanks for reading and for your comment!
What a great read; @ericvancewalton I have been meaning to get back with you. Lol. We are all together all the time. We share the same experience through meditation.
I agree with you on surrounding ourselves with those who lift us up, sure makes life easier. Remember the story about Daya Mata and she would be in a bad mood.
The remedy for that is Yogananda would call to her and when she looked out the window he would throw water on her.
That is what life does and it will awaken each of us eventually as one. I am so glad you are in Steemit enriching our lives with your presence.
I hope to meet you and your wife one day. Either way glad we made the connection in here.
BTW: I am reading the Synchronicity book you recommended in a previous post. You may never see this comment, but you know that really is alright too.
Namaste' ❤️
Thank you very much @rebeccabe! That is one story about Daya Mata and Yogananda that I hadn't heard! Where is it described? It feels so good to be here connecting with like-minded people like yourself. I do think we will meet someday! If the rumors are correct SteemFest will be in the US this year. Although I would miss the European destinations of the past years I think we'd see a much bigger turnout. Glad you're reading Synchronicity, you'll have to let me know what you think! Namaste.
I will get back with you on the story, it was my memory from reading. I remember it was at Mother Center this happened and Ma knew what was coming but would stick her head out the window anyway. It was a funny happening.
The book talking about SE I also got the audible version and enjoy listening to that too. :)
It's so interesting! I can almost see it. I listened to a lot of Yogananda's recorded talks from the 40's and 50's and noticed there was some content in those that never made it to print. I'm feeling the need to read the Autobiography again. I seem to get something different out of it each time.
so glad we are connected :)
We usually, casually, normally take it for granted that when we are awake and are communicating, relating, conducting, thinking, acting, speaking with ourselves and with others - we are really awake and alert... It is not so... most of the time we are simply reacting. Meditation is a way to get yourself a bit more alert when you are awake - and so you can infer any benefits as to how being alert might relate to you. Alert not as in a stressful way or taxing your mind or body, ... but alert as in a relaxed or in a natural way..
I'll say that there's so much you can achieve with "meditation".
I'll like to interpret it as " concentrated or targeted quietness".
I think people (world inventors and people with great IQs) are great thinkers. And I also feel that positive thinking comes from an after-motivation moment.
Wow. I guess people should start coming to the realization that once in a while, we should still move away from the busy world and have a ME-time.
Looking forward to episode 2
excellent post dear friend @mervancewalton you say great truths in it, without a doubt the positive attitude leads you to be better every day, and the friendships that are around you are an important part in it, the selection of the same are your responsabiliadades.
thank you very much for sharing this excellent material, invites a great reflection
I wish you a wonderful week
Thank you for continued support @jlufer! It's much appreciated.
My Dad would say 2 things actually defines a man.
External pressure and Internal pressure.
External (environmental pressures, maybe from friends or places where you find yourself) and Internal (those things you do privately, probably the books you read or the indoor habits you have) actually defines a man.
I 100% agree with your thoughts on the effect of friends in a mans life.
And then, when it comes to motivation, I really don't get to do very deep ones.
And I don't attach much of spirituality to mine lest I find myself in realms or places I never thought about.
I got to know of you via @dougkarr and I must say "I'm greatly impressed". Thumbs up
You father was a wise man. I'm glad you're enjoying the content @eldahcee! I appreciate the kind words and support!
Sure he is.
Personally he's one adviser I don't joke with his words.
Old and experienced you would say.
And to you too, you are a man filed with wisdom. Got to know about you from @dougkarr and since then, it has been an amazing experience getting to go through your blog.
Thanks. I really appreciate the effort and wisdom you put into your craft.
Cheers