Mental Training Week 5
“The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”
— Lao Tzu
In the final week of December as we transition into January and a new year, the focal point of Mental Training will be moving towards mental fitness. Mental Fitness is defined as a state of well-being and having a positive sense of how we feel, think and act according to Dr. Andrew Miki. No one would deny that when we feel our best, we work at our best level of performance. Not to say that many of us continue to push through no matter how bad we feel because of our commitment and sense of duty. Exhaustion being one of the constant states for some people. Think about a time when someone said something, and you overreacted? Were you tired or overwhelmed with too many responsibilities? Even thinking about what you had on your plate was too much.
Now consider a time when you were able to step up to perform at your best and meet challenges with a viewpoint of wellbeing. Perhaps some of the differences in the two states and the response were rest, knowledge, and healthy habits. There will always be another challenge in our daily life, but how prepared we are to meet any of them is determined by our activities and habits that support wellbeing and the growth of being mentally fit. Last week’s post gave suggestions to create those healthy habits with small techniques. In my experience people begin to feel better but then they stop the very practices that have helped them. Once we make a commitment to ourselves, consistent mental fitness can be achieved. Being more self-aware is integral to change and continuing the mindfulness practice of returning to the present moment can help us to stay focused. Every minute is a new opportunity to go back to your state of positive wellbeing. If you miss one practice or ten, you can always start again.
Isn’t that the true goal? Creating a system that you can adhere to of rest, nutritious food, movement and meditation that works for you. Happy New Moment!