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Writer's pictureYaDu

Uncovering the STOIC & ZEN SECRETS to Boost Mental Adaptability and Resilience | #adaptable #resilience #agility

Updated: Jun 21



Mental resilience, frequently equated with emotional resilience, pertains to an individual's capacity to adapt to changes and uncertainties.. Mental resilience is the capacity to remain composed and execute tasks effectively, free from emotional interference and obstacles.



1. Become a badass by embracing pain!!


Regulating your emotions becomes more manageable when you've experienced a wide range of emotions. It's important to identify which emotions trigger you. By conditioning yourself, you can reach a point where these emotions no longer affect you.


Never allow the same snake or emotion to bite or trouble you twice. Learn from experience; this is the essence of self-improvement.

Sometimes life shatters your heart repeatedly, causing you to bleed emotionally, endure immense pain, become traumatized, and suffer deeply. It is at these moments you come to understand that such hardships and suffering stem from your emotional responses. Becoming more non-judgmental towards everything helps one understand that events are merely events, without inherent good or bad qualities. This perspective can lead to emotional immunity. However, not everyone is capable of or should endure such hardships, as many succumb to suicide. Surviving challenges can make you feel invincible and transform you into a fearless individual. It instills a sense of fearlessness and the confidence to thrive even in the most adverse conditions.





It is for this reason that samurai, Navy SEALS, and Naga Sadhus undergo some of the most intense and brutal training in the world. Training instructors employ various methods to test your resolve, including exposure to freezing temperatures, hunger, humiliation, severe punishments, sleep deprivation, and rigorous physical and mental tasks. Enduring these challenges is a testament to one's strength, and those who succeed may be chosen as SEALs, become samurais, or join the ranks of the Naga Sadhus.


It is often said that a significant number of Fortune 500 company CEOs share a common trait—a military background. Additionally, a substantial portion of these leaders are also martial artists. The remaining CEOs are known for their spiritual orientation, with notable examples such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg.



Many individuals hold an unhealthy view of pain, hardship, and trauma. This arises from self-pity, which stems from ego. It's important to remember that growth often occurs under the most adverse, uncomfortable, and harsh conditions. The greater your experience and acceptance of pain, the stronger you grow.


The wound is the place where the light enters you.           - Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi

Pain is inevitable in life! But suffering is your choice!


Whether it's emotional or physical, you can't avoid pain. This may manifest as illnesses or traumas. You will or would have already encountered a lot of pain!


Whether you like it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, pain is a part of life! Suffering is your choice!

Most people choose to suffer than embracing pain. Hosting pity parties for extended periods can be detrimental. By inviting relatives, friends, and parents, one may inadvertently spread negativity. The more frequently one engages in such parties, the more it can weaken them mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. They amplify pain, lament, cry, and act as if the sky has collapsed upon them. This is referred to as catastrophizing in behavioral psychology, which can lead to depression.



During challenging times, it's common for individuals to feel victimized or to adopt a victim mentality. Many tend to blame external factors such as parents, friends, or societal systems, always finding something or someone to hold responsible. Consequently, they avoid taking responsibility for their own thoughts, perceptions, beliefs, and actions. Without self-accountability, change is elusive, and they continue to lead the same miserable life.


"No one's a victim in this world! No one's innocent, everything or everyone is a product of their past-life or present life Karmas! "



2. Control the controllable!


Accept that life is unfair! No matter how much you blame or rationalize the past or speculate on the future, it's not going to change anything! It makes you lose energy and the peace of mind of the 'now' moment. Past or future is completely uncontrollable! What's controllable is this moment!




Having an excellent idea or strategy for your personal or professional goals is crucial, but without proper execution, it's futile. The implementation of the strategy begins with seizing control of each moment.


Learn to live life in moment tight compartments! Life is in the 'now' moment!

3. Take action!


Despite the onslaught of negative emotions and a mind that resists cooperation, it's crucial to adhere to your routine and complete all tasks. This principle is fundamental, yet it's often challenging to apply consistently every day.

Emotions are akin to guests in your home; they arrive and depart. It's important not to let them linger too long.

Working consistently every day requires a lot of conviction and discipline. Normally, people work on the inevitable tasks. If you really want to work on something, make sure that the task is mandatory.


Action is more closely linked to willingness and practice than to any other factors!

Samurai monks are trained to do simple same tasks every day at the same time, in the same order. Training will involve waking up at the same time every day, at 4:30 a.m., and following a consistent routine that includes meditation, Jiu-Jitsu practice, and Ninjutsu practice, all in the same sequence daily. Over time, you have been trained to enhance your efficiency, and excellence has been woven into every task you undertake daily. As routine tasks became a regular part of your schedule, they have been ingrained in your DNA. Now, every day it happens automatically with the flow. Next, you will be tasked with more challenging assignments.


4. Face your Fears!


Cultivating emotional and mental resilience is crucial, and confronting your fears is a vital step in this process. Begin by enumerating your fears. Subsequently, address each fear proactively, accepting them as integral to your journey. You might also consider organizing events or engaging professional assistance to aid in overcoming these fears and fostering resilience.



There are two types of fears - a. Realistic fears b. Unrealistic fears.


a. Realistic fears are natural! They motivate a person to take action. For example - before starting a business, it's natural for the businessman to be fearful of losses. This is realistic, practically speaking, there's a chance of incurring losses. This should motivate him to work hard and make profits.


b. Unrealistic fears (phobias) are delusory in nature, which include phobias. Unrealistic fears cripple action and restrict a person's freedom to choose. Fear (unrealistic) is an illusion that's unique to every person. Some are afraid of heights, water or driving or anything.


You have a choice to stay close to the ground or delude yourself by entertaining fears. There's nothing wrong in having fears, but fear or any emotion shouldn't paralyze your action.


"Break the fear before it breaks you!"

Example: If you have a fear of heights, consider scuba diving as a solution. Initially, you might resist, but it's important not to let this resistance prevent you from acting. Seek professional help, learn scuba diving, and confront your fears. Your determination can assist you in overcoming them.


Understanding that attempting to conquer fear is better than not trying at all, and actually overcoming fear is better than merely attempting. True success lies in living a life devoid of fears.



5. Analyze your unrealistic fears, perform a root cause analysis!


If you can't break your fears with willpower, you need to try analyzing fears.

We develop fears due to overreactions, shocks, false notions & beliefs. The root of all fears is EGO. Ego is the enemy!


How do we develop or form beliefs that lead to phobias?


Essentially, it is the perspective you choose that determines your perception of everything, followed by the decision to emphasize certain aspects over others. Your rational mind asks for proof, subconsciously you will be involved with finding proof to prove that this or that this particular notion is true, then you let it become a part of your belief system or create beliefs or you believe it, subconsciously. Subconscious Mind doesn't provide proofs based on logic or scientific phenomenon; it just randomly picks some obscure facts, based on your intuition and instincts. That's how you form myths or illogical beliefs. The reasoning that's not based on any rationale or scientific phenomenon called SUBCONSCIOUS REASONING. This is purely illogical and unscientific.


Illogic and unscientific beliefs lead to unrealistic fears! This limits your freedom and the pace of growth!

To analyze the fear of riding vehicles, consider this example: It is a prevalent fear among the youth.


A young man purchased a bike and learned to ride it proficiently, receiving all the necessary support and guidance. Following several successful rides, his confidence grew, and he believed he could handle anything. However, one day, he collided with a nearby pole. Although he sustained only minor injuries, the incident left him in a state of shock, challenging his belief that he knew how to ride a bike. Once he recovers from the shock, a negative thought emerges, telling him, "You are a loser! You don't know how to ride a bike!" He amplifies this thought and overreacts by blaming himself, his instructor, and everyone else. This develops into a phobia; he stops riding the bike.



This over-reaction and magnification of negative thought hinders the reasoning ability. This develops cognitive distortions.


Cognitive distortion is a thought that causes a person to perceive reality inaccurately due to being exaggerated or irrational. Cognitive distortions are involved in the onset or perpetuation of psychopathological states, such as depression, phobia and anxiety.


To break his phobia of driving, the young man needs to perceive reality as it's. There is a popular quote written on the walls of driving schools -


"Driving is an art no one's perfect in it! You need to keep on improving!"

The young man should absorb this quote and restart driving his bike.


Rather than casting oneself as a victim, it's important to fully acknowledge and take responsibility for one's actions. It's beneficial to engage in creative thinking and problem-solving, and to assume responsibility for the course of one's life.


You have undergone a lot! I know you can do this! Never ever give up!


6. Overcome the FEAR of DEATH!





The fear of death is real and an inherent part of our life! As a samurai, you are taught to overcome this!


What's life? In a biological sense, life's is nothing but slow death. Every cell in our body contains energy, and when this energy is depleted, the cells perish. Similarly, our body can be likened to a single cell; when its energy is exhausted, the body dies.. A child has the highest energy, an old man doesn't have higher energy. Ultimately, our bodies decline over time as energy diminishes.


According to Zen Buddhism, you are not merely this body; you are an eternal soul. The soul is the core of energy and consciousness, responsible for the creation, sustenance, and dissolution of everything and everyone. Indeed, you are conscious! You cannot be created, nor can you be destroyed. Death pertains to the physical body, and if you are not this body, then why should you fear death?





Our unconscious mind has Intergrated into each cell of the physical body. Our habits are integrated into each cell of our body and some of them are a part of our DNA. In a way, training the body is training the unconscious mind. Consequently, physical resilience is intimately linked to mental and emotional strength. In our upcoming post, we will explore how to develop both physical and spiritual agility. Stay tuned for more!


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Thank you so much!

YaDu,

On behalf of Get Inspired Spiritually.




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