Introduction to Three Meditations
The beginning of a guidebook for passages
Three meditations is a simple structure that will help you plan better and act more intentionally for yourself and the people you care most about as you navigate the passages of life.
Some of the books that have had the biggest impact on me have been the shortest. That is what I am planning for this guidebook. It is not intended to help you decide what you should do with your life, how to improve your habits, or teach you to meditate effectively, there are already many excellent resources out there for that.
This is meant to come before those things and help you with all of them and hopefully more. Think about three meditations as the operating system you are choosing to install. The mind and body you have right now are the hardware, and many of the mental models you have about the way the world works are the apps that you have installed. Three meditations is part of the operating system that helps communicate between these two spaces.
Or if that metaphor does not work for you then maybe try thinking about a closet. The space in the closet is your time and energy and the clothes, shoes , and other things that you will store in that closet are the mental models you have about the way the world works. Three meditations is the organizational system for your closet, it helps you connect the available space to all your “stuff”.
All right. Let’s continue.
Why use this operating or organizational system at all?
Your attention is the most valuable resource you possess, it’s how you decide what to spend your time and energy on. And since both your time and your energy are limited resources, you want to be sure you are using them well.
The world has always been trying to capture our attention, but in the last one hundred years and exponentially so in the last decade with the addition of things like the smart phone, social media, and rapid changes in our world at large, our focus and attention are facing more powerful rivals than ever before.
Three meditations can help you reclaim your attention and change the way you operate in the world. I believe that used consistently, it can help you train your mind to get the results you seeking. Even more so that with just something like mindfulness alone.
Here are two examples.
Imagine you are planning your week.
Imagine that you experience a pivotal moment of upheaval like the death of a loved one.
You can use three meditations at both of these passages.
Imagine yourself in one of those situations and trying to operate the way you do now. Your attention will be competing for a thousand other things. But if you are able to cultivate the ability to use three meditations - you will have a much higher chance of acting more intentionally for yourself and the people you care most about in a way that is authentic to you.
Here are some other examples where you can use three meditations.
When you wake up
Before a meeting
Before you call a friend
When you are graduating
When you have failed at something you care deeply about
What you are getting ready to celebrate an accomplishment with a group
These are just a few examples.
Curious about you can use three meditations in your life?
Read on to find out, but first - we need to talk about gates and the obstacle of letters.
(coming next week… to get notified be sure to subscribe now)