How to Use the Art of Zen to Win the War of Life

The subtlest lessons change your life forever.

There are days in life when everything falls apart, and on top of that, the voice in your head disturbs you with thoughts like, “I deserve it for being an idiot.”

Days when reality turns into a time mincer that turns every minute into hamburgers eaten by your boss, partner, friends, and everyone else.

Days when your free time is not free; it is slave time.

Days when you first think, “No, not again, please.”

And after that, you say, “Shit”.

Days in which life corners you with thousands of commitments, extra hours (underpaid), and favors to family or friends (neither grateful nor paid).

Days in which it seems that the whole world is against you.

Days when you go inside yourself like a snail in its shell, looking for peace, but you can’t find it.

I know; it used to happen to me all the time.

Until I mastered what I coined as the Art of Zen.

The Art of Zen.

“If the mind is appropriate, then the shooting will be correct. If the shooting behavior is right, then letting go of the rope will also be right.”- Kyudo Proverb.

Kyudo, Japanese archery, is a relaxing and focusing practice.

For author Paulo Coelho, it has been part of his daily routine for decades.

It allows the author to have a balanced life and to think clearly. Clarity that he then applies to his work as a writer.

And you can do the same.

I’m not telling you to buy a bow and shoot arrows in your living room.

I want to tell you that patience (the art of Zen) is vital to having a good life.

The key is to be more aware and not react instinctively to everyday life’s small and significant setbacks.

Activate the Zen mode.

The Zen mode is a state of being that allows you to make good decisions without the pressures of the environment causing you to act impulsively.

It is a vital philosophy that consists of counting to ten or a hundred before sending everyone to hell when things get intense.

So simple, so complicated.

Usually, the lessons we must learn in life are right under our noses.

In the words of Paulo Coelho, “What we have to learn is always right in front of our eyes. It is enough to look around with respect and attention to discover where God wants to take us and the most successful step we should take next.”

But for this, we have to have the right mind, or we will spend our lives lost adrift in a sea full of uncertainty and anxiety.

Application to your life

Start leading a conscious life and stop living on autopilot.

Cultivate Zen mode by meditating, painting, crafting, or doing puzzles, and then apply that patience to NOT REACT when someone or something touches your nose.

The years have shown me that the game of life can only be won by staying calm.

So wait and do not react immediately when someone provokes you or some situation gets out of hand.

Increase the time between the negative stimulus and your reaction.

You will have space to think, and that simple zen strategy will give you a massive advantage in the game of life.

A virtual hug

AG

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