the unbounded spirit - gin the vagabond | dream...

Mushin – The Unbounded Spirit

2

Disclaimer

This e-book has been written for information purposes only. Every effort has

been made to make this ebook as complete and accurate as possible.

However, there may be mistakes in typography or content. Also, this e-book

provides information only up to the publishing date. Therefore, this ebook

should be used as a guide - not as the ultimate source.

The purpose of this ebook is to educate. The author and the publisher do

not warrant that the information contained in this e-book is fully complete

and shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions. The author and

publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity

with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly

or indirectly by this ebook.

Readers are cautioned to rely on their own judgment about their individual circumstances and act accordingly. This eBook is for informational purposes only and is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of Competent professionals in legal, business, accounting and finance fields. You are encouraged to print this eBook only if it’s necessary!

Let’s play our part to save Mother Earth. =)


3

About the Author

Gin Ng is an entrepreneur living in Singapore who loves sharing knowledge

and helping others on the topic of Personal Development.

Gin is a passionate person who will go the extra mile and over-deliver.

Gin's words of wisdom:

"I believe that knowledge is power. Everyone should improve themselves

and/or business, no matter what stage in life they're in. Whether it's to

develop a better mindset or to increase profits. Moving forward is key."

If you would like to learn more from Gin, please visit:

http://GinTheVagabond.com


4

Acknowledgement

My parents, Ng Soon Nam and Soo Lee Ling, both show me the power of

unconditional love no matter how many hard times we've been through.

My brother, Ng Shen Wee . Who look after my parents when I’m overseas.

My soul mate, Gan Mei Xin who accepted me and love me for whom I am.

My baby girl, Ng Wen Xuan who gave me the strength to push forward in

life.

My partner, Mukarramah who’s been working tirelessly alongside with me.


5

Table of Contents

Introduction ...............................................................................................

Chapter 1: What Is Mushin ........................................................................

Chapter 2: Incorporate Zen Into Your Everyday Life ...............................

Chapter 3: Entering The State Of Flowing ...............................................

Chapter 4:How To Practice Zen Meditation .............................................

Chapter 5: Amazing Zen Story That Teaches Us The Way Of Living .....

Chapter 6: Stop Comparing Yourself to Others.......................................

Conclusion and Summary ........................................................................


6

Introduction

Life in the 21st Century isn’t easy, modern human and more busier and

more distracted than ever before. Technology has greatly accelerated our

pace of life. Still we are not satisfied, the speed is not fast enough…

Faster phone, Faster computer, Faster Internet, Faster Cars, When we are in need of faster speed, Little do we know that we’d unintentionally extended our workload from 8 hours to 16 hours to even 21 hours. Even during bedtime we’re still reading What’s Apps messages, emails. We wake up in the morning and we’re flooded by Facebook notification. Our current lifestyle has been heavily distracted by technology


7

advancement. Causing us much stress and illness. Take a step back to observe people around us and look at their behaviour. You’ll find that we human aren’t meant to live like that. I was highly impressed by ancient Chinese culture. And it has some simple yet very profound wisdom to teach us one thing. It’s called “Balance”. While we are constantly in pursuit of faster speed, it’s like we are telling the Sun that we only want Morning and afternoon in the day but not Evening and Midnight. We aren’t meant to live that way… When we see things from another angle. If we actually slow down instead of chasing after speed, you may just find balance. Seeking balance within our busy lifestyle is a very important part of our lives if we want to live in emotional harmony. The benefit is beyond your imagination. When you’re in a state of emotional harmony. You’ll remain passionate about your work. You’ll have better ideas and creativity in doing thing. And most important thing is you’ll understand how to live life and be able to decide how we want to live it. This is what I hope this book can help you achieve that.

Bringing you Health and Happiness is the aim of this book as I wish you

can expand boundaries and free your spirit after practicing what I’m going

to share in this book


8

Chapter 1: What Is Mushin?

Mushin (無心) is a Japanese word which translate to English as “No Mind”.

You must be freak out and think that I am crazy to share nonsense to you. Hear me out a little. Mushin AKA “no mind” is a mental state where you’re literally not thinking, not feeling, your mind is completely empty and you’re entering a state of void. In other words you're fully present at the moment. It's like you being in the 'zone' where you can unleash your highest potential to perform or act at peak performance. According to Zen Master Takuan Soho, Mushin is the highest form of consciousness where martial art expert attained thru many years of meditation practice. They’re almost invincible when they fight against their opponent. Why? Mushin is achieved when a person's mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during combat or everyday life.


9

There is an absence of consciousness like self thought and judgment. The person is totally free to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts. At this point, a person relies not on what they think should be the next move, but what is their trained natural reaction (or instinct) or what is felt intuitively. It is not a state of relaxed, near-sleepfulness, however. The mind could be said to be working at a very high speed, but with no intention, plan or direction. However, Mushin is not just a state of mind that can be achieved during combat. Many martial artists train to achieve this state of mind during kata so that a flawless execution of moves is accomplished — that they may be achieved during combat or at any other time. Once Mushin is attained through the practice or study of martial arts (although it can be accomplished through other arts or practices that refine the mind and body), the objective is to then attain this same level of complete awareness in other aspects of the practitioner's life. Therefore, Bruce Lee strongly emphasis this philosophy in his self thought martial art movement called "Jeet Kune Doo". Or some called the interceptive fist. In his school he does not teach Karate, Judo, Wing Chun as he does not believe in style anymore. Bruce Lee believe that Mushin is the state where a person finally understands the uselessness of techniques and becomes truly free to move. In fact, he will no longer even consider themselves as "fighters" but merely living beings moving through space. Let me gives you an example: Imagine there's an imaginary enemy standing in front of you. He is going to steal your wallet and he's holding a knife. Your mind is now filled up with fear and anxiety because your enemy is holding a dangerous weapon and you have no idea how he's going to


10

attack you. Your self defence training is useless now because your current enemy doesn't attack in a specific way like your class mate do and any wrong movement will lead to serious injury. You defence technique can't help you now because you can't react properly if your opponent doesn't take the move like how you think he should. Doesn't it sound scary? But... What if you're in a Mushin state? Your mind is now empty, you're in a calm and ready state as you've discard emotional content out from your consciousness. You feel no fear no anxiety and you're ready to move. You're not worry or thinking or feeling anything now. As the enemy approach you, your reflexes react according to how the enemy move without even thinking. The next moment you know, your

enemy is yelling in pain and you've successfully taken down your opponent using the self defence technique you've practice countless time. Does it sound interesting yet unbelievable? That's common knowledge for those who practice martial arts. But please do not try this at home as above scenario is based on illustration. I'm doing my best to explain how Mushin works as accurate as i can. You're asking what does it got to do with everyday life? Everything! This is a less extreme example... When we 1st learn and practice how to use the computer key board. It was extremely difficult because we need to memorise each and every location of the alphabet. It took quite awhile for an average person to learn how to use the computer keyboard. But as you practice and use the keyboard everyday… You'll reach a point where You’ll be able to type any alphabet without even thinking. You can now write at will without consciously thinking the location of each and every letter.


11

That's a less extreme example of "No Mind". To reach "Mushin" state of mind, one requires to practice Zen Meditation daily. Which I will cover in the next chapter. I hope by now you get excited to discover how to Incorporate Mushin into your everyday life.


12

Chapter 2: Incorporate Zen Into Your

Everyday Life

I'm curious to know if you have ever practiced or are practicing Zen meditation and what experiences/benefits have you gained? It's a historical fact that samurai warriors used to use Zen practice as a way to hone their fighting skills. Maybe, in the future, people will look upon the way meditation is now marketed as a way to make business people sharper and more competitive the same way as we look at those Zen-trained samurai warriors. Many people have the impression that these Zen like meditative stuff is for the elderly or people who want to live a less aggressive life. That is not true, in this chapter I'm going debunk these 3 common myth about Zen and help you incorporate Zen into your everyday life. Myth # 1: Zen Is Not A Religion You don't need to be a Buddhist monk to practice Zen meditation. Despite popular believe that only Shao Lin Monk or Enlightened Indian guru can practice Zen. Or maybe something like what you usually saw on the Movies, those mythical gurus performing levitation on the air while in the


13

mediation position. Nah don't let those fancy movements fool you. Zen is for everyone. you can simply want tranquillity and peace of mind and perhaps a deeper connection to another faith you may practice!

Myth # 2: Zen Is For Loser I always thought that Zen is for loser who can't get anything they want in life. They practice Zen as a way to console their egos so that they feel better about themselves. I was deadly wrong! China highly successful entrepreneur Jack Ma practice Zen meditation too. In one of the interviews he actually shares how he practices Zen meditation to help diminish his self ego so that he continues his personal development journey to attain greater success in life. Ego is a huge problem for us, especially for those highly successful people.


14

Because the sense of achievement makes them feel that they're already reach the highest point in life thus they stop working hard. Their self ego start kicking in and they stop improving themselves. Zen training is the only venture in my own life that has seriously gone after the ego – catching it at its own games, and exposing it in all of its good, bad and ugliness. Every other form of training, at best, tacks another capability, another ornament, onto the ego. Zen training attacks the ego. Myth #3: Zen doesn’t belong in everyday life It's very sad that most people think that they have to move away from the city and climb a high mountain to practice Zen meditation. Actually the opportunity to practice Zen is everywhere. You just need a quiet place to practice Zen Mediation which I will cover more in chapter 6. Once you get the idea you will soon find the opportunities for Zen training are in every moment. I respect those who go to the mountaintop to find or practice Zen. But I live and work in a world where the need for more awakened leaders is desperately evident, and Zen belongs here as well. Moreover, just as Zen lets us transcend our own smallness, so it also helps our business thinking move beyond small-minded greed, destructive competitiveness, or getting stuck in the past.


15

Chapter 3: Entering The State Of Flowing

The samurai class figured out that a warrior with a decent amount of Zen training could be more focused, less fearful, abler to understand the minds of his opponents and therefore a far more efficient killer than a warrior without that kind of training. Zen didn’t necessarily make you a better swordsman or fighter. You needed other training to learn those skills. But with the Zen meditation added to a regimen of training in the arts of war, you could get an edge on an opponent who didn’t meditate. I get introduced to Zen meditation after I read the samurai novel called Miyamoto Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. Miyamoto Musashi is a Japanese Ronin (Masterless Swordman) who fought his way to become the strongest swordsman in Japan back in the 16 Century. He has never lose a single duel against any opponent. His craziest battle is when he challenged 70 swordsman from Yoshioka School. And yet he survived and won the battle with little to no harm. No no no I’m not asking you to learn Zen meditation to start killing people on the street. I’m trying to point out to you what’s possible. Be it swordsmanship, body building, or whichever field you're pursuing. Zen


16

Meditation work for all areas in life and you'll experience it when you start practicing Zen Meditation in your everyday life. Oh wait… Almost forgot...

Miyamoto Musashi has a mentor back then, his name is Takuan Soho. Takuan Soho is a Zen master who was able to apply Zen principals to many activities. He was an accomplished gardener, painter, calligrapher, tea master, poet (over 100 published poems), and author (six volumes of collected works). He is also credited with inventing the yellow pickled radish called a takuan in his honor. Here’s Takuan’s legendary speech which I resonate the most. The legendary Zen master Takuan Sōhō said: “The mind must always be in the state of 'flowing,' for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. In the case of the swordsman, it means death. When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy's sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man's subconscious that strikes.” This is how Mushin state of mind works once you've activate it thru your daily Zen meditation. But in order to enter the state of flowing. WE must first empty our mind, let's hear what Bruce Lee got to say...

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” This is Bruce Lee famous speech/dialog from his Television role in Long


17

Street. Where he train Mike to be a martial artist so that he could protect himself from gang fight. Do you get the idea? Flowing water never go stale, you have to just keep on flowing.


18

Chapter 4:How To Practice Zen Meditation

Creating a Zen Space Environment plays a big part when you want to practice Zen Meditation. One tip then is to create a ‘Zen space’. The idea of this space is that you are going to make just one space in your home that is going to be ‘sacred’. That means that no matter what else happens, you are not going to make a mess in this particular room. That in turn means that you are going to use an even more minimalist design here and it means that you’re going to make rules to keep the space clean – like no food and drink. The aim is to have one place in your home that is always calm, tidy and organized and where you can come and sit with a cup of tea and a book when the world seems to be in chaos around you. Another example of how having less stuff can be freeing, is in the way it will allow you to reduce stress. In many ways, our homes are an outward reflection on our mindsets. When life is too busy and you feel as though it’s all getting on top of you, it can result in a situation where your home starts to look that way – you end up with clutter all over your home that you haven’t had time to tidy. You have washing strewn on the floor and you have washing up piling up by the sink. Papers are everywhere and the little time you get to relax, you can’t enjoy


19

because your home is such a mess. Apart from anything else, you have to constantly wrestle with the feeling that there are other things you should be doing (i.e. chores). How can you get on top of things again if you can’t properly relax and unwind? Even with the best attempt at going minimal though, it is going to take a little time before you get everything just perfect and there will also always be times when life gets on top of you again and you feel stressed

How to Meditate in a Noisy Environment The first thing I share with you is to find a quiet place with little or no distractions. In a perfect world, these silent places would exist for everyone. But, in many people’s lives, distractions are the rule rather than the exception. Let’s face it; life is hectic these days. If you share your home with children, parents, or roommates, you have built-in distractions at every turn. Whether it’s the television, ear splitting music, or just loud conversation, you may not be able to get a moment’s peace in your home no matter how hard you try. You may ask, how can I possibly meditate under these conditions? Unfortunately, many people just give up. They feel the noise and distractions in their lives make it impossible for them to enjoy the advantages of a daily meditation practice, which include stress-relief, mental relaxation, and physical rejuvenation. Ironically, these are exactly what we all need in these stressful, hectic times. Well, the good news is, you can! The method I’ll describe has been effective for me and many of my friends and associates. It takes practice though; along with acceptance, patience, and perseverance. Here’s how it works: The key to meditating in a noisy environment is to change the way you think about noise. Rather than letting the external sounds distract you from your meditation, use them in your meditation. Try this: Sit calmly and just listen to the noise around you. Let the sounds fill your head. Focus on the tones and vibrations of the sound rather than


20

their origin. All sound whether distracting like a television, a baby crying, a dog barking or calming like ocean waves or a running stream are just vibrations. If you break the noise down to its components, you can focus on the deep underlying vibrations and actually enhance your meditative state. If a sound is a sound is a sound, then this sound could easily be comforting rather than annoying. Acceptance- You can’t make the noise go away. You could try ignoring it but this is usually futile. You could try blocking it out with music but you will find that lulls in the music will allow the outside noises back in. The intermittent nature of this can prove to be even more distracting. You may even find yourself dreading the soft parts of the music or the silence between songs. In order to meditate in this kind of environment, you have to acknowledge the unwanted sounds in your space and understand that you must coexist. If you can accept them and are determined to meditate ìwithî them, not in spite of them, they lose the power to control your life. Patience- Give yourself a break. Don’t expect to be able to do this right away or 100% of the time. Be patient with yourself and realize that ALL meditation is about catching the mind wandering and bringing it back to your object of meditation. If you feel you’re getting frustrated with yourself because the sounds are still annoying you, pat yourself on the back instead and accept that you are only human. Just smile and focus back on your meditative mind, you will eventually succeed and believe me it will be worth the effort. Perseverance- Don’t give up. There will be times, especially at first, when you just can’t help being annoyed by the unwanted sounds. You’re non-meditative mind will know that these sounds are distracting and it will naturally want to be distracted. Just focus as best you can for your meditation session and come back tomorrow and try again. You’ll find that the meditative mind will start to learn that these sounds are part of the process and it will become easier and easier to reach your meditative state. So, if your life is full of noise and distraction, you don’t have to give up on a healthy meditation practice. Try the method above and see if it works for


21

you. I sincerely hope this information helps because I strongly believe everyone should include meditation in their daily lives regardless of their living situation.

How To Use Meditation To Get And Stay Motivated The art of meditation has been long harnessed by people throughout the world to enlighten their souls, broaden the scope of their minds, and ultimately change their perception of the world. You could also apply this on yourself. Meditation is basically finding inner peace. That peace then translates to an enlightened and more positive mindset. There are many ways to meditate and it also has lots of different names. Learning how to meditate can be a great motivational tool that comes in handy all the time. Whenever you feel stressed, take some time to listen to the silence, hear nothing but your breath, your pounding heart, and your mind will start opening up to ideas and go to places you have never been before. Be Alone in a Calm Environment The best places to meditate would be locations with tranquil surroundings with no disturbances. Well, if you can’t go out that much, your room will always do. Take a mat or a pillow and sit on it comfortably. Once you’ve become at ease, close your eyes and breathe slowly. This will calm you down allowing your mind to slow down and rest. Open up your thoughts and erase all the bad memories, nasty thoughts, and forget about the stress that you carry around. Doing this every once in a while helps you make clear and concise judgments. This will also keep you from making any rash decisions that you would later regret. Have Someone Help You Out Having someone with you for meditating is also one great way of achieving inner peace. For people who are not comfortable with meditating on their own, joining in meditation sessions is one great way to get used to the process. Getting coached on meditation also broadens your mind further. How is Meditation Going To Help Me Feel Motivated? Some forms of meditation aim to give its practitioners an unbreakable


22

sense of wellness, well-being, and improved state of mind while engaging in daily activities. Meditating can be of great help especially if your mind is troubled and filled with problems most of the time. Having an enclosed and stressed mind can lead to poor, clouded judgment. Meditation eliminates all the negative energies in your body making you feel vibrant, more relaxed, and more optimistic every single time. To get yourself motivated with doing just about anything, meditate. Take the time to relax and focus on your inner self, unclutter everything and feel indestructibly motivated.


23

Chapter 5: Benefit of Zen Meditation

Still not convince? In this chapter I’m going to share these 7 essential benefits of adopting the practice of Zen meditation. 1. REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY No matter how optimistic you are, there's no way you can avoid Stress and anxiety. But that's okay... It's not a bad thing to have stress and anxiety in life. Instead Learn how to truly manage your stress and anxiety by emptying the mind of those intrusive and debilitating thoughts, and replacing them with the knowledge of whatever truth you're seeking, is freeing. 2. CLARITY OF MIND We are all victim of of clouded minds and busy-ness of thoughts. We are constantly get distracted by instant messengers and notifications created by our mobile phone. Every apps wants your attention. Therefore, with practice, Zen meditation can limit the number of intrusive


24

thoughts that filter in during meditation. 3. HELPS CHRONIC DEPRESSION More and more people are diagnosed with chronic depression daily. Depression is usually the result of chronic anxiety and stress, which is caused by factors either unknown or known to us. With deep meditation and focus, it's possible to bring to the surface the true reasons behind chronic depression. 4. BETTER SLEEP When your mind is clear of negative thoughts. You can then sleep better without the help of medication if you're taking medication to aid your sleep. Because meditation can uncover hidden awareness about ourselves, what we believe, and how we operate and think, we can be more at ease at night, when some questions are answered or problems relieved. With senses heightened after a meditation session, perhaps you now realize that your stresses weren't really that significant. Or maybe it's as simple as feeling deeply happy and peaceful. Whatever it may be, meditation allows for better rest! 5. ATTAIN HIGHER SELF-CONFIDENCE you're able to achieve greater responsibilities with more diligence when you receive more positive energy from a clear and focused mind. This in turn allows for greater self-confidence and trust in your ability to make decisions wisely and perform tasks more efficiently! Self-confidence and trust in self are also boosted when we learn more about who we are on a deeper level! 6. STRENGTHENS RELATIONSHIPS Knowing more deeply about yourself and how you operate and think on a daily basis is key for bettering relationships! This is because you're more keenly aware of why you behave certain ways and are able to decipher why others think and behave certain ways! It's all about understanding the root cause of issues and how to communicate well. 7. STRENGTHENS YOUR FAITH As Zen meditation is such a deep form of meditation, with its sitting posture, breathing, counting, and thoughts (or lack thereof), it's a great way to go deeper with your faith and religious beliefs.


25

Use it as a time to allow God to speak, to pray deep from your soul, or to meditate on a scripture or religious saying! The practice of Zen meditation is traditionally done by Buddhists, but many people practice it, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. It has many beneficial aspects- mind, body and spirit!


26

Chapter 6: Amazing Zen Story That Teaches

Us The Way Of Living

I love Zen stories. I love them because their purpose is to inspire us. Also, Zen short stories contain profound meaning presented in the simplest form. They're really just stories about life. As I mentioned in earlier chapter, Zen is not a religion but for everyone. They speak of truths which everyone can learn from, though (as does all of Zen). The lesson can be anything- any undeniable life truth which can be discovered through a life devoted to looking within yourself. Regardless if you’re a Buddhist or not, many non-Buddhists could benefit from the teaching. It should be the life of anyone who cares to find the path to true peace and happiness. These stories only seek to point the way; it offers you a scope to view life from a different perspective. Don’t take any of them for the truth without investigating them for yourself. You shouldn’t believe blindly, it's to develop


27

confidence in your life and in the way. By the way, I mean the way to live our best life and ultimately find peace within ourselves and with others. Here's my favourite Zen stories

Do Not Judge

Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbours came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically. “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbours exclaimed. “Maybe,” replied the old man. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbours again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. “Maybe,” answered the farmer. The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbours congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. “Maybe,” said the farmer.


28

I don’t know about you but this is the most significant Zen story that has helped me avoid unwanted stress, distraction and anxiety. Which is a perfect fit for this modern world that we are living right now. I really like how the farmer reacted to most situation in his life. Be it pleasant or not so pleasant experience, good or bad, he does not judge and label any event as good or bad according to his emotional state at the moment in time. He understands the true nature of life, that you can't judge any event as an "end" in a way. Our life doesn't play out like a work of fiction. There aren't definite breaks that separate one moment versus another, and there isn't a perfectly formulated end which everything builds to. The Sun will raise, life still carry on and whether the day was good or bad, Good and bad are interconnected. One person’s bad luck might be another person’s good fortune. Let me give you an example: Let’s say today you lose a $50 dollar note, you might think that today is a bad day for you. On the other hand, someone who picked up your $50-dollar note will think that today is their lucky day. Instead of whining on how unfortunate you are losing a $50 dollar note today, perhaps you can change your thought by saying: “Who ever received my $50-dollar note, do treat it as a blessing from me, I wish that money can be of good use in your hand.” I believe you will feel better if you do that. They are, in fact, two sides of the same coin. If things seem perfect, they aren't. If it seems like it's Doomsday in your corner of the world, it's not. Things can change in an instant, at all times. And they will at some point or another.


29

Chapter 7: Stop Comparing Yourself to

Others

As we go thru a long list of how Zen Meditation can help you live a happier

life, we’ve mentioned a couple of times that this will probably make your

friends and visitors pretty envious. This is something we’ve been focusing

on somewhat for a good reason – because it’s likely what will have been a

big driving force for you when buying things in the past.

It is human nature to want what other people have and to be constantly

looking over the fence at the neighbors’ new car and wishing it was ours.

This is actually a driving force that makes many of more productive and in

the wild, it would have helped us to keep moving forward and making

ourselves more desirable partners with higher status.


30

In today’s world though – where we no longer need to become alpha male

and female – all this does is make us a lot less happy.

And this isn’t just something you read on car bumper stickers. This is a

scientific fact based on real psychological studies. In case you need proof:

it even has its own name! That name is ‘social comparison theory’ and it

basically states that a lot of our happiness and sense of accomplishment

comes from comparing ourselves to others.

In these studies, psychologists have assessed the happiness of people

with different salaries. What they found was that it didn’t matter so much

how much the person was earning – but how much they were earning

compared to their contemporaries.

In other words, if you were earning $100,000 a week, you might still not be

happy if your friends were all earning $200,000 a week. This social

comparison is what you use as your barometer and because you’re earning

less, you feel dissatisfied – even though you can afford all of the things you

want and do all the things you want.

Conversely though, if you were earning $100 a week and everyone else

was earning $5 a week, then you would likely be much happier!

Social comparison is thought to be one of the leading causes of civil unrest,

of crime and of depression. And it is something that a lot of us wrestle with.

The worst part of all this? Today we are no longer comparing ourselves to

the people who we live next door to or who we work with. And we are no

longer comparing ourselves to friends.


31

Instead, we’re comparing ourselves to celebrities. To the people in

magazines who seem to be able to afford the most beautiful homes

imaginable and to those aforementioned YouTubers.

How can we possibly be happy when we’re constantly being shown such

amazing things?

Again, the answer is to stop comparing yourself and to stop wanting things

for the sake of it. Stop wanting things because you don’t have them and

instead, start to feel appreciation and enjoyment for the things that you do

have. Again, it means thinking about what you want from life, who you are

and how you’re going to get those things you want. It means having a

vision.

When you do this, then you no longer need to compare yourself to those

people because now you realize that what makes them happy isn’t what

makes you happy. That item might not actually enhance your life and help

you to reach your goals – it might well create more work and get in the way

of what makes you happiest!

This can require a cognitive shift but once you realize that it really doesn’t

matter what Jeff next door has, you’ll find it leads not only to greater

happiness but also to better fulfillment and smarter life choices. You’ll

spend your money more wisely and you’ll generally be a superior and

happier version of yourself!

Practicing Patience

One other important cognitive shift to employ here, is to embrace patience.

Very often, we end up getting ourselves into debt, spending more money


32

than we have and filling our homes with clutter not because we want so

much but because we want it now.

We’ll make excuses for ourselves to buy things right away like: ‘it might not

be here if I don’t buy it now’ or ‘I’ll save the money back next week’. But the

reality? If you buy the item before you have the money now, you’ll be likely

to do the very same thing next week.

This is about discipline and it’s about knowing what you want and waiting to

get it. That’s what will allow you to get the things you want without stress

and without debt and it’s what will keep your home from filling with more

and more unnecessary items. And this really rams home the importance of

being selective.


33


34

Conclusion and Summary

We’ve already addressed the value of meditation and this is a great tool

you can use to keep your mind relaxed. If you find that you struggle a lot

with stress, then you should also think about addressing the sources of that

stress, which may even mean quitting your job.

You can also try seeing a therapist. Often the most effective form of ther-

apy for stress is ‘CBT’ (cognitive behavioral therapy) which will help to

teach you the mental tools and skills that can help you to eliminate unhelp-

ful thoughts and anxieties.

Finally, if you can find the time and the energy, it is very much worth spend-

ing some time on a basic exercise regime.

Even if your goal isn’t to lose weight or build muscle, exercising will simply


35

help to give you more energy and focus throughout the day. It acts as a

natural depressant, improves the energy efficiency of your cells and even

helps you to get more energy to your brain. AND it leads to better sleep!

And with that, you should now have all the tools and knowledge necessary

to start organizing your brain, organizing your life and finally feeling on top

of things.

It’s a lot to take on board and of course it’s not going to change overnight.

Try to avoid the temptation to force yourself to adopt all these changes right

away – instead, take some time out to fix as much as you can and then try

to slowly introduce as many positive new habits as you can. After all, you

don’t want this to add to your overwhelm!


36

Did you Find my Mushin eBook add value to you?

I have given my best to put up this essence which I’m using it every day,

I’m sure I added value to you ; ) ... and you’re probably wondering...

“Where do I go from here?”

Well, this is just the beginning.

I’ll post regular update on my side, feel free to check out the update I share

as I will go more in depth into each aspect to help you more.

To Your Success!

Gin NgFounder and Growth Excellence Officer of

http://GinTheVagabond.com

the unbounded spirit - gin the vagabond | dream...

Documents