Summary: You're listening to the 13th episode of the Humans 2.0 podcast, solo-series, FLOW! Today's episode is on one of the greatest topics I've ever covered. Happiness & positivity are easy when everything is going great, but what about when you are facing pain?<br><br>You can do three things: <br>1. We can deny that things are falling apart<br><br>2. We can accept that things are falling apart and add more energy to the same way of seeing<br><br>3. We can ask ourselves, what new is trying to be born within me?<br><br>Actions to Take:<br>1. Be Mindful and Meditate<br><br>Mindfulness meditation is the most impactful activity I do every single day. If you are looking for a sense of direction and solid foundation to build an integral character...this is for you.<br><br>Meditation teaches you discipline, increases flow, and allows you to slow your mind down and become aware of your thoughts.<br><br>Once you get your mind right, you can get your life right. Most of the times we are so blindsided on an issue that we focus our energy on the initial negative narrative. Step back and revisit the situation and you will often find your problems have changed or shifted position over your mind.<br><br>Learning can help expand your perspective which is the layer on reality that is always late to the game and causes problems.<br><br>Meditation decreases the stress produced by your body and improves the areas of your brain responsible for empathy and love. I used to think meditation was a hippie gimmick as an excuse to sit around and do nothing. Once I started meditating, I realized I was wrong and this bad perception of meditation has negatively harmed my life.<br><br>I recommend you do a little bit of research on your own. Look up different types of meditation and some scientific studies that show the benefits of meditating.<br><br>Please don’t say “I can’t meditate because I can’t clear my mind”. Of course, you can’t because you are only human. Mindfulness meditation isn’t about “clearing your head”.<br><br>I recommend downloading Headspace on the app store. Give meditation a try and let me know how it works out for you in the comments in a couple weeks!<br><br>I am also advocating for mindfulness throughout your daily life. When you are walking do you feel your feet move back and forth to move you across a massive space rock? When you are eating pay attention and smell and taste your food. Don’t watch or listen to anything. Start practicing mindfulness in all your activities.<br><br>PAY ATTENTION!<br><br>2. Put Your Head Down and Work<br><br>“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” — Martin Luther King<br><br>Last summer I was giving my sister a hand moving to New York from Massachusetts. We woke up early at 5 am and packed everything she needed into the U-Haul truck. On our way we stopped by Dunkin Donuts to get some caffeinated drinks.<br><br>I started thinking to myself “Wow I’m about to drive 4 hours to New York and then move heavy stuff.<br><br>I stopped myself. Observed myself and the situation that I was in objectively. I told myself “I’m Mark and I’m going to drive for 4 hours. This is it. This is happening.”<br><br>I soon realized I was in a Zen state. Driving for hours wasn’t actually bad but I automatically perceived it as something awful and grueling. Right when I paused and realized I was in an automatic trance, my mindset was no longer tired or irritated. I was happy because I was about to go on an awesome adventure!<br><br>I learned a lot from this experience. I had great conversations with my sister and improved my driving skills. I also worked out a couple problems in the back of my head in the background.<br><br>Moral of the story is, sometimes it’s best to relax, put your head down and do your job. Don’t give yourself the ability to use this event as an excuse for not...
