I'm Leo Babauta -- my new habit will be morning meditation

Excellent habit to keep up Leo. Too many people are caught up in the vicious rat race and forget to step back and be "mindful" of ourselves and our surrounding. I will like to implement that habit once I get my habit down.

good luck with your new habit Leo

Vincent

Thx Leo!
You have no idea of how an amazing inspiration you are to me Leo. I have been reading a lot of self-help books, as well as reading and occasionally posting on your site. Finally I am able to muster up the courage to launch my own website which will hopefully inspire and motivate people a bit. Another positive website can't hurt since we have so much pain and suffering around the world.

Leo,

Great habit! I think it's one of the best habits to start with. When you're mindful and centered inside, you can deal with lots of other "external" habits that you need.

Good luck! And having the same challenge for January'09, I'm looking forward to exchange of ideas and experience.

Tanya

Hi Leo

Meditation is a good one. Mindfulness is so difficult to cultivate in these times. Any practice will go a long way.

This challenge is a great idea.

Juliet

Vinny,

Best of luck with your new website. If I may comment on these words in your post ¨Another positive website can't hurt since we have so much pain and suffering around the world.¨

I used to think there was so much pain in the world too but, after having been a fan for some time of THE WORK of Byron Katie, I have come to believe, for me, that the only place pain and suffering exists is IN MY THOUGHTS, not anywhere out there in the world.

This is not say that people, you and me, don´t have pain and suffering in our lives (our minds)....and that it doesn´t behoove me to lessen that pain and replace it with understanding, succor, and love whenever I can.

But, the point of Katie´s work (as I understand it) is to teach me to question those thoughts that make me feel pain, discomfort, or any emotion rather than love and understanding.

I notice that whenever I am thinking of the pain and suffering, emotions like blame, guilt, anger, and helplessness emerge. These emotions don´t contribute to my taking action to deal with the thoughts-situations from whence the pain emerges.

Please take my words with the love they are sent. They are in no way meant to question or challenge your views.

Have a great 2009

Terence

Good luck with the mindfullness, i'm sure you'll pull through.

Great goal, I think. But maybe you'd have better luck if you actually meditated first thing, rather than after your coffee. Food and drink hinder mediation, and caffeine will make it nearly impossible

Leo: I am a newbie to this whole blogging thing, and definitely to sharing my objectives with the world. HOWEVER, I am willing to give this a try and hope all goes well. Sidebar: read my recent email re: the ZTD e-book purchase issue. Moving on...

I would like my habit to be the same as yours: Some type of daily meditation while I am driving to work. The catch is that I am usually driving 80 mph trying to either drop the baby off and head to court, OR just heading to court to start my day. This starts my whirlwind day of non stop movement. So needless to say I need your help on how to even begin the process.

Be mindful that I have a type A personality and consider myself quite structured/organized and have it together. But my recent self analysis has left me re-evaluating my idea of "having it together". Outward it all fits, but inside I am overwhelmed and feel as if I am about to crash. As a matter of fact I did crash last month in the middle of court before I was even finished cross examining an officer. The Judge looked at me and asked "Counselor are you okay". I stopped and said "NO", walked out the courtroom and fell into a crying fit that took about 20 minutes to get under control. That lead me to taking a spa trip. But now I am back and feeling exhausted AGAIN. So I say to you my dear: NOW WHAT???

Col

We're in the same boat, Leo! I'll be meditating, too. I'm so glad so many people have taken you up on your challenge.

I started reading your blog about three months ago and have been really impressed with what I've read. I'm off to purchase your book on Kindle.

Good luck to you!

Thank you for your thoughtful perspective Terence, I agree with you as well. Where any positive or negative projections or perspectives do start from "within" and not from external circumstances, because time and time again there have been so many amazing stories about individuals overcoming great adversities and now living positive productive lives.
I would love for you to visit my site when it is up and give me some more of your insightful feedback Terence :-)

Hi, Leo,

I wish you good luck, although I don't think you need "luck" for your "quest". You are already very skilled on accomplishing whatever you want, so I'm sure you will do fine!

You are my inspiration!

Thanks for everything!
Good luck!

i do morning meditation every morning at 5.45, but have difficulties of getting up.however my neighbour (he is a zen dharma teacher)does morning meditation already for16 years. Amazing how he can keep on doing this. I guess he got this from constantly practice meditation and early sleep (22.OO) . He always calls me out of bed to practice together with him, sometimes i just ignore his knocking on my door which is really a bad habit, i wish i could just get up and already dressed for the meditation session... must start sleeping early from now. and also want to do yoga in the evening. Can anybody give me other tips besides sleeping early? How to motivate myself?

Hello Leo & All,

I had as my original goal for January better control of my carbohydrate intake since I was diagnosed with Type II diabetis in August 2007. However, there is something I've tried to do for a good year or more now with absolutely No success and that is: GET UP EARLIER so that is my January challenge.

I usually don't go to bed till between 11:00 p.m. and midnight and that's because I take an awfully long time to fall asleep. Even going to bed as late as I do, I still take a good hour or more, sometimes, to fall asleep. Therefore, since I only work part time, I usually don't get up till 9 or 10 a.m. and feel as though half of my day is shot.

Any suggestions from you or others would be most helpful and appreciated and I wish good luck to everyone as we take the challenge to begin our new habits.

Leo

Thanks for the words of encouragement. You were correct I probably wouldn't have checked the website tonight. Regrettably I instinctively hit "reply" on the email and wrote a response. The problem is that I can't forward it. I really don't want to retype it because its so long, and just thoughts that popped up. Do you have a general sort of public email that I can forward it to? Please let me know.

Sincerely ladyc

Leo:

You cannot believe what just happened. Amazon has been my salvation- I order everything from them, so I looked up the book you mentioned "Slowing Down to the Speed of Life" by Carlson and Bailey. Then I looked in my collection of self help books that I have purchased through the years. Regrettably many of them I have not had the time to read. Guess what I found here at home... an amazing collection of books on mindfulness, meditation... Here they are:

1. Calming Your Anxious Mind , by: Jeffrey Brantley

2. Where You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life,
by: John Kabat-Zinn.
SIDEBAR: I pulled up "mindfulness" off the search engine after reading
your 2009 resolution. Up popped John Kabat giving a lecture to the
staff of google, and doing a 1 hour and 12 minute discusion on
mindfulness and a short meditation session. I had my hubby tape it
because I was so thrilled to have found and experience his lecture. Now I
am amazed that I have had his book in my home library for years. His
voice is very peaceful so I will look for any audio that he has to try
to use him to learn to meditate. He says he's been doing it for over 40
years.

3. Excuse Me Your Life is Calling, by: Lynn Grabhorn

4. Slowing Down To The Speed of Life...How To Create A More Peaceful, Simpler Life From the Inside Out, by: Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey. This is the book that you mentioned--can you believe how this site is drawing me in a direction that I should have been in long ago. Tapping into my mind and discovering how to become whole.

5. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by: Eckhart Tolle

Finally, I just purchased your books. The e book Zen to Done is good, but I am going to order the actual book as well. Both books should complete my collection. My New Years resolution for 2009 has been amended:

I resolve to read all of my books noted above, and try to implement the suggestions in my everyday life.

I resolve to find some ME time during the day. At least twice a week I will cut my work day short and spend a couple of hours reading for pleasure. I have not done that for years, and that's probably why I have been so stressed.

I resolve to continue to particiate in the ZenHabits site.

Now I will TRY to slow down to 70 mph, and I will try to wake up a little earlier. Getting the baby together eats up my time and still make me rush in the morning, so this may still be a problem.

I WILL definitely prepare for the next day the evening before to minimize morning rushing.

I WILL definitely hold on to and practice your suggested mantra.

Once again thanks so much for taking the time to chat. I will be in touch. Wish me luck on my New Resolutions.

Lastly, disregard the email request, I won't send the email. I will delete the message altogether. This note says all that I need to say for now.

-Peace be to you and those you love, Colleen