A Simple Meditation

A Simple Meditation

There is no question that financial independence is more than about just money.  Even after the bank accounts grow to the size of hills, climbing this mountain requires a certain amount of emotional fortitude.  As I have said before, this head space is often what people stumble upon.  Once the money mind meld fades into obscurity, where is happiness to be found?  One answer that crops up time and again is mindfulness.  While it may indeed be possible to meditate yourself to a better life, I take a more practical approach.  In this blog post I will teach you a simple meditation with real life applications.

Will it bring contentedness and overall joy?  Who knows.  But it will allay anxiety and make you better at pretty much anything you strive towards.  

I learned these techniques as a child.  After an extensive medical workup for chronic headaches, my physician sent me to biofeedback.  During these sessions I learned a process called self hypnosis that used meditation and visualization to manage chronic pain.  

The Journey Begins

This simple meditation begins with a literal and metaphorical journey inwards.  For me, I like to think of moving deeper below the surface.  Sit back somewhere comfortable and close your eyes.  Concentrate on taking slow rhythmic breaths.  

You are standing above a stairwell as if leading into a basement or cellar.  There are a hundred steps in front of you leading downward.  You take each step one at a time as you descend into a peaceful place.  You count one by one.  As you go further down you visualize traveling deeper into yourself.  To a more reflective place.  A safe place.  You take your time.  Marking each step in your mind.  I prefer to count backwards from a hundred.

As you get closer to the bottom of the stairwell you see a door.  At first it is distant, but as you reach ninety and then ninety-one you are getting closer and closer.

As you reach the hundredth step you place your hand on the door knob and you prepare to walk into the safe place.  

The Safe Place 

I’ve gotten a step ahead of myself.  The purpose of this simple meditation is to allay anxiety and perform at a higher level at whatever you strive for in life.  In my case, I like to use this technique to prepare for public speaking.

I have a keynote speech to give to a few hundred doctors in early February.  During this presentation, I will stand on a stage and talk continuously for 45 minutes without notes or slides.  I will tell my stories.  

I have begun the arduous process of memorizing my presentation, but want to get my brain in the right mental space and really give a kick ass presentation.

As I reach for the door at the bottom of the stairwell, I take a deep breath.  This room signifies my safe place.  The place deep inside where I am comfortable and relaxed, where I can do anything.

Mock Up

On the other side of the door, I visualize what I imagine the speaking venue will look like.  As opposed to real life, in my safe place I have all the control.  I can control the size of the crowd, the appearance of the stage, or even the feeling in the room.  It is all part of what I choose to imagine.

I step up to the podium and smile as I look out to the crowd.  And then I stand up and deliver.

Months out from my actual presentation, I use this simple meditation to visualize the outline of my talk.  I haven’t memorized the words yet, so I concentrate more on big ideas.  I jog through a mental outline of what I eventually will say, and think about the feeling and emotion of the room.

As I get closer in real life to the big date, I add in detail and run through the whole presentation word for word in my safe place.  I concentrate on the nuances, the sentences I have trouble with.  I visualize the jokes I will tell and the laughs they will illicit from the crowd.

Adding In The Details

A week or so before my go live date, I get really granular.  Not only do I visualize myself giving the presentation, but think about how I will be feeling as I stand in front of the crowd.  I think about the anxiety and heart pounding, and picture myself embracing it instead of trying to escape. Then I practice the possibility of losing my train of thought or making a big mistake.  But then I visualize myself recovering flawlessly and moving on.

As I conclude, I see the faces of the crowd.  Smiles.  Maybe tears if I have said something profound.  I visualize them clapping.  Giving a standing ovation.  

I am proud of myself.  I did a good job.

Then I turn around and move to the back of the stage.  In the corner is a door.  I reach for the knob and turn.

Coming Up For Air

My simple meditation is almost over.  I am back in the stairwell.  The crowd and stage are long gone.  I am at the bottom.  Deep inside myself.  It is time to make the journey back upward and rejoin the life that continues around me.  

I count each one of the hundred stairs in front of me as I rise toward the plateau.  As I reach a hundred I open another door.  I open my eyes.   

And my simple meditation is over.  

Final Thoughts

I think the journey to financial freedom is about more than just money.  The end of the accumulation phase forms the beginning of everything else.  Getting in the right head space to deal with retirement or half retirement is crucial.  

Today I have discussed a simple meditation that I believe brings me a modicum of peace and relaxation in this post financial independence life.  I chose a meditation that has practical applications as opposed to shooting for the lofty goal of general contentedness. 

This visualization technique can pretty much be used for any anxiety provoking future activity.  Whether it be hosting a podcast, going on vacation, or teaching a class.  

It is simple, can conform to almost any time constraints, and will help you perform at a higher level.