There is one overwhelming problem that we keep coming back to. It has made me question myself to infinity just to realize that questioning is the problem in itself. The problem of problems is solved by not giving life to the problem.
The problem I am speaking of is thinking. Chatter in the skull.
Per the main teachings of spiritualists and philosophers — we must learn to silence the mind.
“Silencing the mind” may seem impractical. Like it will take away from our material progress in this world. I disagree.
Here’s why:
Preface
I will talk a lot about thinking in this letter. A majority of the time I am speaking of unconscious thought. Reactions, identifications, biases, beliefs, and negative energy that you are not aware of. Consider this me making the distinction between thinking itself and thinking with a purpose. Conscious thought. Thinking about your thinking is conscious and implies presence and awareness. However… I am still of the mind that even conscious thought should be moderated.
Resisting What Is
The more productivity advice I hear the more I realize people are trying to escape the flow of nature. Force instead of flow. This had me in deep reflection this last week. My most productive points in life are the ones where I:
- Follow my intuition & curiosity
- Make the conscious decision to go all-in
- Have experience that matches the challenge
- Have clarity on execution of the project
- Maintain momentum until completion
I don’t need all of the productivity hacks and advice to pump out 3-4 hours of work. Sometimes even 12 hours and sleepless nights. When this scenario occurs, you cannot pull me away from my work. Work has become play that is more “fun” than any other activity I could participate in. Nothing will stop me from making the idea in my head a reality.
This is a result of alignment. Everything falls into place. It “clicks.” The passion potion of neurochemicals floods your brain. It all makes sense and you execute on the micro vision.
There was no resistance. There was no “second thought.” It happened because it was supposed to. Through the macro pursuit of mastery and improvement — my mind was open to the infinite opportunities that pass by my eyes on a daily basis. Out of those infinite opportunities, one of them caught my attention. Raised my dopamine levels, signaling that I should pursue it, so I did. No thought. No mind. No ego, limiting beliefs, or paralysis by analysis had the chance of holding me back.
Some call this divine inspiration. I can get down with that. When you are connected to Source — by not thinking — you operate according to your Dharmic path. Your destiny. Your talents surface and you cultivate strength through action.
This does not eliminate the utility of modern productivity hacks. This is an observation of multiple cycles of life that led to exponential growth. There is merit in structuring your work, but I would be lying if I said that my quality of work was higher when I tried to force it.
Mental Minimalism
The goal with all of this is to help you understand the concept of psychological time. The past, present, and future. By thinking, you are split. Your being is in the present but your mind is in a familiar past or predictable future. This is where all perceived problems exist. We live out the same painful, negative experiences because they are familiar. We have experienced them before. This causes negative reactions, biases, and beliefs. Thinking — in this case — should be moderated to the best of your current ability and moderated further through lifelong practice.
In the optimal situation, we would not think much. Barely at all. But society has been structured in a way that requires thought and education to function within the system. Psychological time can make you a slave to this system. It has been perpetuated thanks to the internet. Mental health issues are at an all-time high. Thinking and doing must be balanced.
Note: Reading, writing, socializing, listening and creating is not synonymous with thinking. In fact, thinking often takes away from the quality of these experiences. Are you engaged with the present moment when you are speaking with someone? Or are you blocked from deep connection by creating problems in your head?
We must think strategically. We must frame our focus via The Creation Hierarchy. By writing out your vision, goals, values, and priorities — your subconscious will follow suit. You will naturally move in a positive direction when engaged with the present moment. This is where tools like visualization, affirmation, and other structured thinking methods become useful.
Not only can these be used to tap into the energy of a potential — not predictable — future, but they eliminate the need to think about the opportunities that align with you. They are a dot in your memory that allows pattern recognition to come into play. You will know (from a feeling of excitement) what you should pursue.
Again, this should be moderated. Thinking is a tool, not a master. Doing should fill the majority of your days, a state of no-mind. Active engagement of your senses. Awestruck by the depth of the present moment. Listening fully in conversations. Feeling fully when with your significant other. Awareness of the space around you. Connected to the radiating positive energy of our Source.
Understand that you do not need to think in order to do. Thinking often dampens the quality of doing. You need not think when you are connected to Infinite Intelligence — the root of all knowledge — that modern society has built on and used against us.
The Flow Formula
When you have framed your focus, meaning you can think less, you create the potential to tap into flow state. To flow with life instead of resist it. There are degrees of flow you can tap into. The present moment gives you instant access to a degree of flow. The act of creation gives you access to a higher degree of flow. Per my previous experience and research, these are the things that must come into play.
1) Curiosity – you must be open and attentive to what pulls and holds your attention in alignment with your interests.
2) Objective – a short to long term goal, project, or vision. Write this down and remind yourself of it, but do not overthink. The challenge of reaching this objective should be slightly above your skill level.
3) Clarity – goals toward your vision and tasks toward your goals. If you are unsure of the steps to take — you must educate yourself. Learn via the internet.
4) Intention – what you are stretching towards. You are stretching towards the challenge that the objective presents.
5) Action – simplified action. Do not think past the first step. Take the first step from a place of inspiration (created by the previous steps).
These are all implied through The Creation Hierarchy. If you have that in place, you need not do much thinking. Reminders, reflection, and refinement morning and night will do the trick.
Ending it here.
Enjoy your weekend my friends,
Dan Koe
