MEDITATION & MINDFULNESS AS RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Why Successful People Practice Mindfulness

How does one measure success? As arbitrary as it is, people can warp its concept in so many ways. Some say it is measured by the numbers in your bank account. Some say it is measured by how many people know about you. Some say it is measured by much you can ‘get away’ with. In the surface, those are probably true, but not always: Criminals can have a fat bank account and have many people know them; corrupted rich people can get away with pretty much anything — but they are hardly a picture of success.

So, what is the mark of a true successful person?

All throughout history, we have been witnesses to the rise of great men and women. Warriors, kings and queens, poets, philosophers, and writers have all painted history with unique voices that echoed all the way to the present. While they all achieved remarkable feats in their own different ways, a common denominator underscores their similarity: it was the way they connected with people.

Anyone can be smart and eloquent, but not everyone can form authentic connections. Not just any connection: the kind that transcends time itself, the kind that resonated with a Greek scholar in 245 CE and can still relate to the working woman in the 21st century. The words of Hypatia of Alexandria, the first well-recorded female mathematician and philosopher can still prove to inspire millions of young women today as she did when she was still alive in Egypt. In one of her lectures, she says,

“Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.”

People who form beautiful connections with other people will always have a mark in history. A sound mind, sharp and organized thoughts, and an energy that naturally attracts other people are bound to be listened to; are bound to have a page — even a chapter — in a thousand history books.

Yuval Noah Harari, a prominent and highly lauded Jewish historian, author, and philosopher says he practices Vipassana Meditation two hours a day: one hour when he wakes, and one hour before he sleeps. This, he says, allowed him to write his critically acclaimed and recognized books: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus, and 20 lessons from the Twenty-First Century. According to him, the sense of concentration, clarity, and focus that Vipassana Meditation provided enabled him to write pieces that inevitably made an impact to a lot of people, both influential and ordinary.

Meditation gives us the important spiritual tools for us to see reality as it is. It gives us razor-sharp discernment and wisdom that allows us to observe the events happening around us without bias, which then allows us to logically predict what might happen in the future using present observations. As Hypatia of Alexandria have said, we must first understand the things that are at our door before we can understand the things that lie beyond. You cannot speak of what you do not know, which is why it is important to allow yourself to connect with the reality within you to understand the reality outside of you. At the same time, you cannot expect yourself to connect with people if you are unable to connect with yourself. The attractive energy that great men and women of history possessed, which compelled people to rally behind them, was a result of continuous self-discovery, reflection, and meditation.

It is astonishing to think that a few hours of watching your breath can lead to such great discoveries; how it can uncover the deepest truths in the universe. But such is reality: we have already been provided with the tools that we need to live authentically and to connect with our shared humanity. What we must do now is to harness it.

Athena Wisdom Institute adheres to the call for a consciousness revolution and actively promotes mindfulness in the workplace. We offer meditation courses that will help you elevate your consciousness and become more mindful and appreciative of our shared humanity. Sign up now to our courses at Athena-Center.com to start you journey.

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