Staying grounded is a new technique I started practicing a few months ago. I wish I had learned it years ago. The world is filled with unrest and situations that strains us , and at a point makes us depressed and unsettled. My elder brother once told me someone defined rest as death. I.e , we only experience true rest only when we are no more. As funny as it sounds, the scholar was right. So, in order to survive in this unsettled world, one needs to adapt ways to stay grounded amidst the dark clouds and vicissitudes. It's a practice that should help one remain focused and maintain his self-esteem regardless. I'll be sharing a few practices, or maybe philosophy I adapt in staying grounded.
One thing I've noticed that makes one strained is the fear of an outcome. We are afraid to fail an exam, we are afraid we'll lose a job, we are afraid we would be rejected, etc. The way I help myself out of this and remain balanced is to think of the worst that can happen in such a situation and tell myself "I'll live on since it doesn't kill me". It's more like being positive after imagining the worst that can happen in such a time or situation. Having to imagine the worst only shows me the weakness of whatever I was dreading. I apply this practice in every situation and often remain calm realizing the worst of it wasn't as big as I had imagined in the first place.
Most often, I climb a mountain or go somewhere calm, sit and meditate. I allow myself to forget whatever bothers me as I reconnect with nature. This practice helps me stop, breathe, focus, and reset. It helps me revisit my worries, this time, calmly, as I focus on it and reset whatever had been wrongly placed in the cause of my decisions and indecisions. Meditation sometimes helps me to see myself in a new light. If I was feeling depressed and low, It helps me build a high self-esteem. If I was giving up, it helps me to see the possibilities of conquering.
There's nothing we encounter today that has not been before us. Some were able to overcome it while others couldn't. What is happening today is a repetition of what had been before us, thus, there's nothing new under the sun. Reading books and hearing from people who had once been in the same spot I find myself helps me believe it's possible to overcome and it gives me peace that I'm not alone in such a battle. Their stories help me take a deep breath and tell myself, If they did overcome, I too would.
@emreal my partner in this collaboration