“Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.”
Robin Sharma is right. Thoughts can make or break us. While positive thoughts can build up our self-confidence, negative thoughts can lead to unrelenting self-doubt.
It was just two years ago that I was questioning my life’s existence. I was going through – I won’t say depression but – a rough time. Struggling to find freelance clients, working on a failing startup, drowning in debt, in a bad relationship. All of these things had a cumulative negative effect on both my personal and professional life.
I thought going back and living with my parents would solve it all. You know, just like when we were a kid, you could go back home from a bad day at school, and your mom’s good food and love would take all your pain away. You’d forget the day and move on to the next. This time, it was different.
I was 23 and a full-grown adult. I worried that society would judge me, “Oh look, he’s living with his parents now,” as that was not something you are supposed to do as an adult.
Everything my parents said felt unpleasant. Anger built up within me. Soon, I started avoiding my friends.
One day I just woke up and decided to take control over my life. I started searching online for possible remedies and starting watching Youtube videos. There were millions of different suggestions, but the one I decided to try was meditation.
Why meditation? The person who I was most influenced by said “if breathing is what’s keeping us alive, don’t you think you should improve your breathing skills?”
Well, it made sense. I can learn to code later. Living a long fruitful life made more sense to me in the moment. My life was falling apart and I needed to save it.
I started researching online on mindfulness techniques. Multiple articles talked about “meditation” and how just 10-15 minutes per day could improve your life. So, I thought of giving it a try. Like come on, I can at least give 10 minutes a day.
Here's How Meditation Helped Improve My Life
I’m Calmer Now
Today, I have the ability to remain at peace and think clearly before making a decision. Had you met me a couple of years ago, you would seen a different response from me. Everything felt irritating before.
Nearly everything makes me smile today. How about that?
In the busy world of expectations and growth, I forgot about living life. But today, I feel myself again.
My Resting Heartbeat Per Minute Dropped
Not many of us spent too much time thinking about our hearts beat. Well, we should.
Your heart is responsible for pumping blood. When we run, workout, or do something that requires immediate energy, our heart pumps faster and pushes blood throughout our system. But even our heart is an organ and not a machine. So, there is something called a resting heartbeat. While it’s okay to have a heartbeat of 70+ while we walk or move around, our heartbeat should go down when we don’t work.
A low resting heartbeat per minute is a sign of better heart condition which means less risk of heart-related diseases. My resting heartbeat dropped from the 60s to 50s per minute.
I Have Less Anxiety
I tend to worry less. The biggest realization that comes with meditation is to be in the present. Worrying about something or someone can never be a solution to our real problems. Something is bothering you? Don’t panic or sweat your night’s sleep. Find the cause. Go to the root of the problem. Surprisingly, all you need to think straight is take a few deep breaths.
I Get Better Quality Sleep
I had poor sleeping habits. And everything seemed to have started from that. Sleep is one of the few things that I used to neglect or if I had a chance, avoid. .
But guess what – 10 minutes of meditation helped me sleep deeper than ever before.
My Self-Confidence Skyrocketed
When you feel good about yourself, everything around you seems to be good. You don’t feel chilly winds but a cool breeze. You appreciate someone’s kindness instead of being irritated by everything. Everything feels good. That builds self-belief. You feel the confidence within you. It’s tough to explain that emotion. But if your confidence is low, you KNOW the value of building that confidence back up.
Forms of Meditation that Helped Me
Meditation has different forms. The most common is focusing on your breath. (which is what I do). When you focus on your breath, you are in the present. You feel the air-kissing your skin, your hands touching your legs. You can feel the tickling feeling in the bottom part of your nose as you breathe in.
“Focusing on the breath” is just one form of meditation. Anything that helps you be in the present can act as a form of meditation – be it a craft, painting. Anything.
Here are a few mindfulness exercises…
I also used the app called “Calm” to assist me in this process. I really liked it. You may give it a try or use any other software in case you need it.
Today Life Is Great
Today, I’m doing good. I have two high-paying long-term clients, enough free time, a remote and flexible work-life (and the ability to freely travel), I write more, read more, and even cook more. I’m happy and confident. Happy not because I’ve all of those things that I mentioned, but because I let my emotions flow, I feel my sadness when it knocks, and I party with my happiness.
I appreciate life as it is and don’t worry about what might have happened.
I stay in the present. And, that’s changed my life for good.
About the Author, Prasanta Banerjee
Prasanta Banerjee is a storyteller in the pursuit of happiness and peace. He loves to read and write about self-development and productivity. You can check out his thought-provoking articles on his website at https://prasantabanerjee.com/ or text him directly on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/prasanta14/