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Abstract

they go to the church, they believe in God, they have faith. And faith is the most important tool. With faith, you can move mountains.</p></blockquote><p id="e6ee">I respect religions, but I don’t rely on them. What I truly believe is whatever makes you feel good, increase your faith, and makes you a better person is good for you. And if your community shares and supports the same belief, is amazing.</p><p id="d1d8">So let’s see what the benefits that I got by meditating every day 15 minutes per day for three years are.</p><figure id="222d"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*JD4P1fwPvOlP2WsQ"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@coltonsturgeon?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Colton Sturgeon</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 id="6c00">I started to be aware of my thoughts</h1><p id="78ba">Meditation helped me to understand what was bothering me in that period of my life. The reason was I was doing tasks that I didn’t want, and I didn’t recognize which one was. It helped me to make a pause and interpret what that was. What was bothering me, without meditation, I couldn’t calm myself to be aware of what was going on in my head.</p><p id="efee">Since I was busy all the time, I never stopped myself from thinking deeply about it. Meditation makes me a calm person. When you are calm, you can make a pause in your life. When you make a pause in your life, you can examine and recognize emotions and take better decisions.</p><h1 id="16fb">I started to listen more and speak less</h1><p id="ec89">I have never been a talkative person; I always need time. But when I feel comfortable with the person, I speak, and I speak a lot. I used to go out with friends and listen and talk with everyone, but I used to interrupt when someone was talking.</p><p id="ccae">Meditation helps me to listen more to understand and not just to respond and react. It makes me be open and receive a different point of view. And try to understand people through listening without interrupting.</p><p id="4c9d">Try this.</p><p id="ca47">When you talk with someone, don’t say anything; just listen. Listen carefully to what the person says. Look at him/her with intention. If you are desperate to talk, don’t do it. After finished, ask questions if something is not clear. Don’t give opinions or advice if they don’t ask. You will see how the person will love talking to you more and more.</p><p id="83ab" type="7">We need more quiet people. They are the ones who changed the world.</p><h1 id="5675">I started to make better decisions</h1><p id="e6f3">It is a big truth; everything is connected, like a domino. If you introduce a good habit in your life, that tiny small habit needs another good one.</p><p id="e798">Through meditation, I become a quiet person with the necessity to learn more. It is what happened to me. I started to read more about self-improvement, phycology, and money, the topics that I like, hence make in my daily life better decisions. Not only emotional ones.</p><p id="6469" type="7">Taking decisions based on whatever you feel at the moment is not the best decisions almost all the time.</p><p id="8b00">We make a ton of decisions in our everyday life, from tiny decisions like the moment that you decide to make a cup of coffee until heavy ones like q

Options

uitting the job that you hate.</p><p id="88ba" type="7">Through meditation, you will be aware of the decisions that you are making. You will be conscious to ask the question if that decision will make your life better or achieve your goal faster.</p><p id="c098">Just the act to be calm and aware to ask those questions can be life-changing.</p><h1 id="2cef">I started to sleep better</h1><p id="107e">Another truth, since I cleared my mind through meditation, I can plan my day in advantage; usually, before sleep, I think and note what I have to do tomorrow. I had a plan for a week ahead, but always at night, I like to refresh my mind to know what I have to do tomorrow.</p><p id="68e9">So when I achieve all my to-do lists, I felt excellent; hence I go to sleep with the thought I win the day. Sometimes it does not happen, but I felt good because I know I do my best. I am aware that sleep good is essential to do better and start with energy the next day.</p><p id="4afc">When you meditate, you are aware of the essential things in life. Think in this way; you sleep 30% of your life. It is crucial. You will be aware of the importance to sleep well.</p><h1 id="4f55">In Conclusion</h1><p id="8635">I’m sure I forgot to mention more benefits of the power of meditation. What I can tell you is everything is connected. When you decide to start a tiny good habit, you will pick up another good one on the road.</p><p id="4df2">Give it a try, start small, five minutes after wake up. Remember, the world needs more calm people.</p><p id="8e62">I will borrow Ajahn Brahm’s quote<b>.</b></p><p id="ea78" type="7">Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.</p><p id="8d46">If you want more stories like this or different topics, <a href="https://tremendous-motivator-3624.ck.page/d99ee555ea">let me know here!</a></p><p id="303b"><i>Godofredo Rojas is a writer, chef, and constant learner from Peru. He studied in Le Cordon Bleu in Lima, Peru. He moved to New York in March 2011. You can find him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chamarro.rojas">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/GodofredoRojas">Twiter.</a></i></p><div id="6375" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/if-you-want-to-level-up-use-humility-as-a-powerful-tool-172a6d789e22"> <div> <div> <h2>If You Want to Level Up, Use Humility as a Powerful Tool</h2> <div><h3>If you apply right, you can be unstoppable.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*PwlNTU_4rjHeQiCz)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="d9a2" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/if-you-dont-find-time-make-it-here-s-how-56cb7a689ff8"> <div> <div> <h2>If You Don’t Find Time; Make It. Here’s How</h2> <div><h3>Firstly, learn to say no.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*NUZ8h6-J0iJ5zJn2)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

MENTAL HEALTH

I’ve Been Meditating for 3 Years. Here’s What I Learned

Tiny habits that make your life easier.

To understand the immeasurable, the mind must be extraordinarily quiet, still.

Jiddu Krishnamurti

The world doesn't need more aggressive and emotional people — the world needs more calm people.

I was skeptical about the power of meditation for a long time. I heard about it, but I never put my attention on it. I thought that was for certain kind of weird people.

Maybe that was for religious people, but it wasn’t for me. Years ago, I heard their benefits of meditating, and I was surprised.

Three years ago, I was having a hard time in my job, and I was too emotional; everything used to bother me, I started to see the bad aspects of everyone. Like if something inside bothered me. But I didn’t know what it was.

Certainly, everything is connected, I couldn’t sleep well, I was thinking about everything but at the same time anything. I wasn’t aware of what was in my mind. I was sleeping 3–4 hours, hence all day in a bad mood.

I remember I didn’t want to the doctor (I try to avoid all the time). So I was searching for what can help me to discover and clarify my mind. To see what was happening inside of me. That is how the word meditation came to my life again.

I read about meditation and all the benefits that you can have if you make it part of your habits in life. I decided to give it a try. To see whether it can help me or not.

I started with 5 minutes every day. Studies show that to make a new habit part of your life, you need 66 days doing it consistently. After 66 days, the new habit will be ingrained in your brain. So I decided to do it regardless feel good or not.

I easily get bored doing something that I don’t like. That is why I committed myself to do it, no matter what. The first month I almost quit. I didn’t get it. I tried to concentrate on listening to soft music and thinking about anything for 5 minutes. I felt weird, but I didn’t quit.

The rule 66 days worked for me; after two months of meditating every day after wake up for 15 minutes (I started with 5,10,15), I began to feel the benefits even without thinking about it. I began to slow down. A small change was growing up inside of me.

Since that moment, I never stop meditating every day, and I have been meditating for three years already. Now I can say I was totally wrong when I thought that meditating is for weird people or it is not.

What I think is God is energy and pray is a meditation. I have a religious family, and they pray all the time which I respect I saw them always happy even with problems but always with good energy. They pray every day they go to the church, they believe in God, they have faith. And faith is the most important tool. With faith, you can move mountains.

I respect religions, but I don’t rely on them. What I truly believe is whatever makes you feel good, increase your faith, and makes you a better person is good for you. And if your community shares and supports the same belief, is amazing.

So let’s see what the benefits that I got by meditating every day 15 minutes per day for three years are.

I started to be aware of my thoughts

Meditation helped me to understand what was bothering me in that period of my life. The reason was I was doing tasks that I didn’t want, and I didn’t recognize which one was. It helped me to make a pause and interpret what that was. What was bothering me, without meditation, I couldn’t calm myself to be aware of what was going on in my head.

Since I was busy all the time, I never stopped myself from thinking deeply about it. Meditation makes me a calm person. When you are calm, you can make a pause in your life. When you make a pause in your life, you can examine and recognize emotions and take better decisions.

I started to listen more and speak less

I have never been a talkative person; I always need time. But when I feel comfortable with the person, I speak, and I speak a lot. I used to go out with friends and listen and talk with everyone, but I used to interrupt when someone was talking.

Meditation helps me to listen more to understand and not just to respond and react. It makes me be open and receive a different point of view. And try to understand people through listening without interrupting.

Try this.

When you talk with someone, don’t say anything; just listen. Listen carefully to what the person says. Look at him/her with intention. If you are desperate to talk, don’t do it. After finished, ask questions if something is not clear. Don’t give opinions or advice if they don’t ask. You will see how the person will love talking to you more and more.

We need more quiet people. They are the ones who changed the world.

I started to make better decisions

It is a big truth; everything is connected, like a domino. If you introduce a good habit in your life, that tiny small habit needs another good one.

Through meditation, I become a quiet person with the necessity to learn more. It is what happened to me. I started to read more about self-improvement, phycology, and money, the topics that I like, hence make in my daily life better decisions. Not only emotional ones.

Taking decisions based on whatever you feel at the moment is not the best decisions almost all the time.

We make a ton of decisions in our everyday life, from tiny decisions like the moment that you decide to make a cup of coffee until heavy ones like quitting the job that you hate.

Through meditation, you will be aware of the decisions that you are making. You will be conscious to ask the question if that decision will make your life better or achieve your goal faster.

Just the act to be calm and aware to ask those questions can be life-changing.

I started to sleep better

Another truth, since I cleared my mind through meditation, I can plan my day in advantage; usually, before sleep, I think and note what I have to do tomorrow. I had a plan for a week ahead, but always at night, I like to refresh my mind to know what I have to do tomorrow.

So when I achieve all my to-do lists, I felt excellent; hence I go to sleep with the thought I win the day. Sometimes it does not happen, but I felt good because I know I do my best. I am aware that sleep good is essential to do better and start with energy the next day.

When you meditate, you are aware of the essential things in life. Think in this way; you sleep 30% of your life. It is crucial. You will be aware of the importance to sleep well.

In Conclusion

I’m sure I forgot to mention more benefits of the power of meditation. What I can tell you is everything is connected. When you decide to start a tiny good habit, you will pick up another good one on the road.

Give it a try, start small, five minutes after wake up. Remember, the world needs more calm people.

I will borrow Ajahn Brahm’s quote.

Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.

If you want more stories like this or different topics, let me know here!

Godofredo Rojas is a writer, chef, and constant learner from Peru. He studied in Le Cordon Bleu in Lima, Peru. He moved to New York in March 2011. You can find him on Facebook and Twiter.