Fears and doubts are very much part of
our emotional life — they show up daily.
Everything causes them: finding new
work, dealing with financial uncertainty,
creating something new, contemplating
failure.
But it is critical that we keep fears and
doubts from impeding our ability to fulfill
our potential.
From Epictetus to Ralph Waldo Emerson to
Buddha to Dr. King to Marcus Aurelius, I
seek every bit of inspiring wisdom I can
to practice optimism and courage.
It is about self-awareness, wisdom, and
understanding our strengths — often in
the face of adversity. I have found that
you can cultivate these personality traits
through daily practices. And it does get
easier and stringer over time.
The following ten practices helps me to
continually develop my courage and
optimism:
1. Trust your journey
Everyone is familiar with the saying, "If
you believe it then you can achieve it."
We call it faith. The great question to ask
is how strongly do you believe in yourself
and your journey.
Order can come out of chaos when efforts
are made repeatedly, when we are
mindful about options and possibilities. A
quest — whatever it may be — begins
with curiosity and intent.
It is only when we zig zag through our
journey do we discover our treasures from
serendipity, synchronicity, and chance
encounters.
And in any journey — entrepreneurial or
otherwise — there are many encounters.
Some are planned; some are by accident;
and some by divine intervention. When
we have faith — 'help' often does show
up when we need it most if you are open
to possibilities.
This 'miracle' happens when two people
or events are drawn to the same time and
place based on a similar intention. Often
this is referred to as Synchronicity (as
defined by Carl Jung).
For me, many ‘ miracles ’ have occurred
when least expected — and many of the
people I've encountered have become
business partners, friends and family. And
whenever those encounters initially left
me with a "negative" experience, they
turned out to be much-needed lessons for
me.
I believe chance encounters happen to
those who remain optimistic no matter
what.
2. Guide your energy
"I am the greatest, I said that even before I
knew I was." — Muhammad Ali
According to quantum physics, our
thoughts have a frequency and a
corresponding unique vibration that
attracts similar frequencies into our lives.
So negative thinking attracts negative
energy; positive thinking attracts positive
energy.
Buddha, Aristotle and many others have
suggested the same, how we think creates
the energy that ultimately manifests our
realities. If we go into a situation with a
negative thought process then we are
almost destined to have a negative
outcome.
This also applies to group thinking or
collective consciousness. When a
collection of people together guides their
mental energy for a positive outcome, the
likelihood of their success is usually lot
higher and than otherwise. Their
collective energy attracts positivity or
negativity.
3. Become stronger by embracing your
battle
Read the following passage from the book
"Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius as read
in the TV show "Black Sails ":
"The emperor writes: How
should you be? You should be
like a rocky promontory against
which the restless surf
continuously pounds. It stands
fast while the churning sea is
lulled to sleep at its feet. I hear
you say – “How unlucky that
this should happen to me.”
But not at all.
Perhaps say instead how lucky I am that I
am not broken by what has happened,
and I am not afraid of what is about to
happen. For the same blow might have
stricken any one, but not many who
would have absorbed it without
capitulation and complaint."
This passage says it all. Fearless among us
will get stronger by accepting and
embracing our battles.
4. Turn every obstacle into an asset
Nelson Mandela in his teens, heard a
tribal elder say, "These are our young
men. They are our future. But the truth is
they are second-class citizens … they will
always be boys."
Mandela made a decision to change South
Africa upon hearing this. And his decision
changed the world.
Fearless people work with what they have
and turn obstacles into opportunities.
They are at ease with challenges,
disappointments, and rejections. Instead
of setbacks, they try to see these events as
gifts and find ways to utilize them to
move forward.
5. Predict your future by creating it
The fearless are busy creating their
future. They visualize their future and
invent their way into it. Nobel Laureate
Dennis Gabor in his book, Inventing the
Future, writes:
“The future cannot be predicted,
but futures can be invented. It
was man’s ability to invent which
has made human society what it
is. The mental processes of
inventions are still mysterious.
They are rational but not logical,
that is to say, not deductive."
Understanding exactly what we want is
the foundation for our success. But
executing that success requires taking the
next step, every day, no matter how
difficult it may be. That means you don't
get to sit around and wait for success.
6. No matter what, stay devoted
There is just no substitute for hard work.
Almost all very successful people work
harder than most people can ever
imagine. Fearless people tend not to dwell
on things, they find their strength by
staying devoted to their craft.
Based on Buddha's teachings, I believe
devotion begins with:
Right effort — without effort, nothing can
be achieved.
Right mindfulness — to actively observe
and guide our minds toward our journey
but staying in the moment.
Right concentration — concentration on
wholesome thoughts and actions.
While we cannot control everything by an
act of will, we can certainly be devoted to
life's pursuit.
7. Develop resiliency
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run
then walk, if you can't walk then crawl,
but whatever you do you have to keep
moving forward.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
Fearless positive people develop a mental
capacity that allows them to adapt with
ease during adversity. They develop a set
of powerful mental traits.
Resiliency begins with flexibility and
adaptability. Success and happiness does
not always come from blasting through
rocks and impediments, rather from
having the faith, courage and 'letting it
happen' attitude to cope with harsh
realities of life.
Above all, positive and optimistic people
lead themselves by constantly finding
encouragement within their soul. They
surround themselves with other positive
people. And they inspire others despite
their own personal adversity.
The more you give out positively, the
more you get back.
8. Read, write, watch
Inspiration can come from anywhere and
anyone. Mine often comes from writing,
reading and watching movies — books
and movies that combine life stories with
a spiritual journey.
Writing allows us to consciously put these
positive reaffirmations on paper to
visualize our destiny. I have also found
writing is therapeutic for coping with my
adversities.
It allows me to turn my anger, fear, and
disappointments into inspiration for
myself and my readers. It serves as stress
relief when you try to turn negative into
positive by finally expressing what you
feel down deep inside.
9. Practice patience
The realization of the power of patience
was most obvious to me during my visit
to the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, Japan.
There, I stood in front of a famous
Japanese calligraphy, a quote by
Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the
Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan
for over 250 years until 1868.
It says: "The strong manly ones in life are
those who understand the meaning of the
word patience. I am not as strong as I
might be, but I have long known and
practiced patience. And if my descendants
wish to be as I am, they must study
patience."
Over time, I have found that the practice
of patience begins with:
Compassion — The Dalai Lama says, "a
truly compassionate attitude toward others
does not change even if they behave
negatively or hurt you." It is perhaps one
of the hardest things to practice, yet
there's no substitute for compassion.
Gratitude — When life turns upside
down, staying in an attitude of genuine
thankfulness helps us realize what we
have.
10. Avoid negative people at all costs
We all know that the people we surround
ourselves with make the difference
between failure and success. If you've
ever been around someone who leaves
you feeling exhausted and drained, you
have probably encountered an emotional
vampire . These people don't drain your
blood, but they do drain your vital
energy. Emotional vampires can be found
anywhere.
It is important to avoid people who bring
us down, waste our time, take us
backward, and have no empathy in our
suffering. Make a deliberate effort to
spend time only with people who uplift
you and make you stronger.
Source: Business Insider
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