MyLifeYoga

Marcus Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC) was a Roman lawyer, politician, philosopher, and orator. He has had a great influence on European literature and thought. He is said to have penned “Six mistakes Of Man”. Here they are with a brief commentary provided by us after each:

1. The illusion that personal gain is made up of crushing others

The “win-lose” mindset is the most destructive frame of mind we can have. The sooner we replace this with the “win-win” mindset, the better for us. Success rides on the back of success. When we are successful, others also get better opportunities. The same works in the other direction too.

2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected

While it may seem obvious, we are all guilty of putting our energy in a direction that is fruitless. Successful people intervene in this thought process and move on. The key is to train ourselves to ask, “This thing I am worried about, is there something I can do? If so what is it?” Writing down the bullet points on the actionable items is one key first step in breaking out of the cycle of “pointless worry”.

3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
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It is easy to feel isolated and alone. It is easy to feel lost and despondent. But really each one of us can make a difference. We can smile, we can hope, we can pray, and we can do good. Let us not waste a single precious breath in feeling small or hopeless.

This is a continuation of Bob Weisenberg’s essay: Six Big Ideas Of Yoga. This is the sixth of the Six Big Ideas:

The techniques of Yoga, leading to enhanced awareness, are one method for discovering our true wondrous nature.

You might have noticed that I haven’t even mentioned Yoga techniques so far, except in passing. This is because, while they clearly have a lot of value in themselves, the techniques are also the means to a philosophical end.

The poses, meditation, and breathing techniques of Yoga all have a central aim–to move toward enhanced awareness. Enhanced awareness is non-judgmental, egoless witness of ourselves and our emotions. It is what allows us to experience the full spectrum of consciousness–the universe and the “universe within”. Enhanced awareness is how we experience more fully all the wonder and awe I have been talking about.

If you are unfamiliar with Yoga, try this deceptively simple Yoga approach to see what I mean:

Focus on the current moment – what’s going on right now at this moment.

Breathe deeply, relax all the muscles in your body.
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