“10 days without talking? YOU?”
Yes, me. I’m committed…I signed up for a 10-day silent meditation course.
A Vipassana Meditation Retreat is 10 days, no talking, 10 hours of meditation a day, very modest food and lodging, complete disconnect and let go to promote psychological and emotional healing.
For me, it just sounds hard so I’m in! (Whether I’ll be successful is another story. We’ll find out in the end of November!)
As I’ve stated before, studies show that seeking out and surviving hard experiences makes us better at getting through the hard stuff we don’t have control over. I’ve done hard physical things. (marathons, mountains and megaburgers, oh my!) Now it’s time to sit down, shut up, and see if I can do THAT for 10 days.
When I tell people, many holler, “I could NEVER do that.” People say the same thing about a marathon. The fact is, they could, if they wanted to! The better answer is, “I see no reason to put myself through that kind of ridiculous torture (which I completely understand) and so trying to gut through it with zero motivation would be near impossible.” Now THAT is accurate!
We all have different goals. We are different people. That’s ok…in fact, that’s great! Your goals are yours and for that, they’re perfect! You may have a goal to learn to knit, or get good at boxing. While I think it would be super cool to be a badass female boxer, and I definitely could train as a boxer and improve over time, I have NO desire to get punched, especially in the face! I wouldn’t do that, but it’s an awesome goal for my friend Courtney, who works really hard for her matches, is super fit, and highly confident because of her accomplishments in the ring!
My sister-in-law knits...a lot! In the past, I’ve said “I couldn’t focus enough to knit a whole…anything!” In truth, when I’m into something, I can sit quietly and focus for hours! I painted over 240 mandalas on rocks as gifts for an event I went to (Not in one sitting…I did them over 3 months). Knitting just doesn’t appeal to me. I could do it, I just don’t want to! Doesn’t mean I don’t love the zen it brings Nicki, and the fun knitted socks that she gives me to keep my tootsies warm! Hell yeah! KNIT ON NICK!! (and when she starts doing this I'm moving in with them!)
So next time you say, “I couldn’t do that”, think again! Instead, try saying “I could probably do that, but I just don’t want to” (You might just want to say it to yourself because saying it out loud to someone could make you sound like a jerk nozzle).
Saying it that way kicks up your confidence and resilience. It caffeinates your internal locust of control. (the belief that you can impact the world around you and your experience in it.) It energizes your belief in yourself and your abilities, so when something comes along that you WANT to do, (or HAVE to do…boo!) you will come up against a lot less psychological resistance. You’re capable of a whole lot more than you can ever imagine!