To be earnest is a virtue, is it not? Well… maybe, maybe not… what matters more than that is: HOW are you being earnest?

Does being earnest and hard-working and serious and concentrated and focused and ambitious = intense = overly tense?

If you have too much tension in your mind-body-self, then you’re likely being too earnest. And, in that case, you…

need

to

STOP.

What happens when you are experiencing too much tension?
You probably feel:
anxious or…..
tight
stuck
down
depressed
hyper
distracted
worried
conflicted
nervous
frustrated
angry
helpless
victimized
bored
uninspired
driven
overwhelmed….

etc., etc., etc!

You may even feel pain.

When you feel pain – or any of the above symptoms – what do you do about it? If you’re like most people, you probably try to DO something about it. Right? Well, does that work?

Maybe for a few moments, but eventually the pain usually comes back, right?

So, if you want a different result, then shouldn’t you be trying something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT? 

Have you ever thought of STOPPING, and NOT doing something about it, nothing other than STOPPING? Instead of DOING, trying NON-DOING?

Huh?

In our culture, we are taught that to be earnest is to succeed. Work hard, and you’ll “make it”. If you don’t “make it”, it’s because you DID something wrong. Try harder, they say. Be serious! Concentrate harder! DO it right. Well, does that work? Does it get rid of your pain? Does it bring balance into your life? Most likely, the answer is “no”.

So, again… why not try something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT? What if you were just a bit less earnest, less invested in the outcome of your striving? What if you were to strive with a bit more ease? What if you were to give yourself a bit of extra time to just BE. To simply observe. To be aware of your surroundings, and aware of yourself. What would happen if you were to STOP, and simply live, free of expectations?

If you’d like some specific instructions for one way to learn HOW to practice this, download my 8-page article on improving your technique. Even if you’re not interested in improving your technique, the article will give you some very valuable information for your overall well-being. And if you’re experiencing any excess tension or pain, I think it’s pretty essential information.

I would love to hear your comments! You can comment on this post by clicking on the comments bubble at the top right of this post, or in the comments box below (depending on the view in your browser).

♥

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