This article was a somewhat frightening prospect for me. It’s been sitting on my list of early article ideas that I’ve been meaning to write, but this one I’ve procrastinated on. Specifically grazing over it and passing it by on the list. It’s just so personal and I reference my beloved mantras so often that it feels like such a big part of my life. This digital sheet of notebook paper that I refer to so often, I believe is like referencing a compass while one is trying to navigate through life. It keeps me going in the right direction.
I go over this, honestly twice a day. I try to read it right before trading. Prior to trading is especially a helpful time to interject these messages more into my life. For me, it became a habit and almost like a positive superstition at some point. Like I’ll have a bad trading session if I don’t go over these mantras first. It just keeps me tethered to the road, on the straight and narrow.
I try to read it out loud to myself too (I’m self conscious and wouldn’t want a family member to hear me mumbling to myself alone in my office). That seems to help, hearing it out loud. I like to pretend the words soak in easier when spoken. Also, it needs to be noted that much of this is just a summary of Michael Singer’s big course available via Sounds True (it was life changing for me), and the other half is on Buddhism and Tao Te Ching.
I hope this list helps someone out there looking for mantra ideas. These are my personal mantras, totally unedited. Each line can be unpackaged infinitely and could be a whole blog post (or book) themselves. In fact, many of these lines I’m certain I will expand upon in the not too distant future. Use this if you want, but maybe this could just be an idea or outline for you. Just write your own “pillar of life and happiness” tidbits of knowledge that you come across. If for nothing else just for you to remind yourself of what is really important if you find yourself astray from your core values in life. Really helped me with life stuff and with trading.
Justin’s Daily Reminders/Mantras:
- Before meditation, say aloud: I’m thankful for this time that I get to do this, it’s a gift.
- When you meditate everyday, it’s to remind yourself that: the purpose of my life is to let go of the rocks and blockages within the river. Become free, free of the bondages that are your trivial thoughts and emotions.
- Always look inward, that is where you will find peace and that is where you will find all your answers. Never outside.
- Lead with compassion. It’s your highest self in action.
- Your thoughts/emotions are a house, a prison where [enter the name of your negative/dark side, personified] resides. He/she wants you to stay there, trapped within the walls of your psyche. It’s up to you to be aware of this, it’s up to you to open the door and to walk outside.
- When you are contemplating consciousness itself, that is meditation. Focus on the self, concentrate on the one that sees. Sit in the seat of awareness.
- When you feel yourself start to close, think: am I willing to be unhappy? It’s a choice. Reframe your mindset. You are not your thoughts, you are not your feelings. Don’t let them derail or distract.
- You are the one who sees.
- Perception: Nothing is good or bad, it’s just your mind’s interpretation. A lens through which you are viewing the world in that moment. Positive will soon be negative, negative will soon be positive. You can’t have the good without the bad. Just experience it, don’t interpret it.
- Just tree.
- Relax and release. Do not hold onto thoughts or feelings. Simply do not engage with the tug o war game, let go. Do not wrestle with the flow of life. Wu Wei.
- 13.8 billion years. It’s amazing to be anything at all. What an honor to have been engaged in life’s beautiful struggle. Perspective!
- Every time something comes up, greet it with joy. This is an opportunity to get better, to become lighter with less internal baggage. A chance to become stronger and more resilient. A chance to grow! “Bad” things are a chance to become more free. Don’t fight, don’t resist, don’t cling (to “good” things either) Let it be and allow it to work it’s way out, don’t hold anything in. Reverse your mindset into happiness, contentment, joy and interest when things come up. Let it go!
- To grow spiritually you must get at the root of your issues, it’s not the reaction (fear, anger, jealousy, etc) as that is the spray off of the rocks that are the core issues. Once you get to the root of your internal problem (the rocks in the river) is where the real work comes in. Are you willing to be honest? Your will is the strongest force within you; are you willing to relax and release?
- Let go of the resistance to the reality in front of you.
- The meaning of life is the experience of life.
- Witness consciousness: I’m aware. ___ is what I’m aware of.
