As many of you know, last month we launched our monthly IKIGAAI Mindfulness Letters designed to inspire ways to bring more awareness to lead purposeful lives. As we are all human, we at some points in our lives experienced some degree of stress, chaos, anxiety, burnout (list goes on). This is further intensified by the digital overwhelm we are surrounded with, making us constantly feel "busy" or "overworked". All of these challenges we feel have their origins in our minds where thoughts and emotions play villain, and will take us down dark rabbit holes if left unchecked. So how can we stop being controlled by our minds, but learn to tame the mind? The first step is for us to understand how our minds work. So this month, we're exactly focusing on that through mindfully curated contents from around the world.
Did you know that we are evolutionarily wired for negative thoughts?
In this first video, listen to psychology Professor from UC Davis- Alison Ledgerwood describe her experiments. There’s a reason that why insults stick with us longer than compliments — and it may serve an evolutionary purpose.
Use mindfulness to help you focus on what expands you, not what contracts you.
In this second video, we share a story from Native American tradition which really boils down to the core of what mindfulness does to us. With mindfulness, we can strengthen and bring into action, and we can choose what we will gently let go of. In essence, it frees us from old ways of thinking that often hold us back.
THE CHALLENGE: This month we challenge you to sit down without any expectation 5mins a day just observing how your thoughts and emotions come and go.
Take care, and see you in the next edition of IKIGAAI Mindfulness letters. In the next edition, we will share you lessons from incredible master monks. So stay tuned here and on our social channels.
If you missed our Jan/Feb edition, you can access it in web format HERE
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