How to Strenghten Your Mind Without Changing Your Thoughts

ast week, I was writing about the 5 hidden secrets to thriving entrepreneurs to introduce the Spiritual Path.

Today, we delve into the first step: strengthening the mind.

For my inspiration today, I’ve chosen a spot in nature at 2300 meters of altitude.

What does it have to do with entrepreneurship and spirituality?

The truth? A lot!

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Any practice requires a strong mind.

Entrepreneurship and spiritual practice, in particular, require mental strength.

Most believe that strengthening the mind means having better thoughts.

Actually, if you are not receptive, nothing will help.

There are two prerequisites to strengthening the mind:

• 1. Reducing stimuli and taking proper rest.
• 2. Creating a positive environment.

The spot today meets those two conditions.

Reducing Stimuli and Taking Proper Rest

Most of us in the West are highly overstimulated in all five senses.

Stimulation causes vibrations or perturbations in the heart-mind, known as vṛttis in Sanskrit.

These include thoughts, emotions, and imaginings.

Too many vṛttis cloud our awareness and perception, creating confusion.

Imagine trying to solve a difficult problem in a noisy, crowded place.

We seek quiet environments for clarity.

But what if our own mind is in a noisy, crowded place?

To walk the spiritual path, we need three basic contexts:

• Time devoted to contemplation and practice
• Self-reflection to discern what’s truly necessary for our progress
• A sufficiently relaxed state to let go of surface-level thoughts and anxieties

When we’re overwhelmed with thoughts, we lack these essential contexts.

Thus, the first step on the path is to reduce stimuli and take proper rest.

Practical Steps to Reduce Stimuli

1. ‍Identify and reduce excessive stimuli: These are the stimuli absorbed through your senses daily – things you watch, listen to, taste, hear, and so on.
2. ‍Limit media intake: Television, internet, and magazines constantly bombard us with cultural programming that can be limiting or even debilitating.
3. ‍Incorporate rest periods: Ensure you get seven to nine hours of sleep nightly, and include relaxing activities during waking hours. This could be as simple as sitting on a park bench, playing with your children, or meditating.
   

The result?

A clear, rested mind allows for deeper self-reflection, revealing what drives you.

Remember, knowing what you want and setting a clear path is your greatest asset.

Make Your Home and Diet More Sāttvik

The scriptures of Yoga, like the famous Bhagavad-gītā, talk about three qualities of nature, or guṇas in Sanskrit.

These three qualities are inherent in all things to varying degrees:

1. Sattva (lucidity, clarity, purity, simplicity, lightness)
2. Rajas (energy, passion, spice)
3. Tamas (darkness, inertia, heaviness)

These qualities are not “good” or “bad” in themselves. Still, their proper balance brings health, well-being, and motivation for spiritual practice.

Nearly all of us have a deficiency of sattva in our lives.

We need more simplicity, lightness, purity, and clarity.

Increasing sattva involves making intentional choices about our home environment and diet to support a clear and serene mind.

Practical Steps to Increase Sattva in Your Home

1. Declutter and Simplify: Liquidate unneeded possessions that clutter and complicate your environment. Ask yourself, "Have I used or enjoyed this item within the past week (or month)?" If the answer is no, donate it, sell it, or let it go.
2. Clean and Maintain: Keep your home clean and simple. A sparkling, well-maintained space can significantly increase the sense of calm and clarity.
3. Bring Nature Indoors: Healthy plants increase sattva. Ensure there are some plants in every room to bring in a sense of life and tranquility.
4. Inspirational Decor: Use imagery and colors that inspire and uplift you. Your home should make you smile and feel at ease.
5. Optimal Lighting: Ensure your home is well-lit with as much natural light as possible. Use warm, cozy artificial lights rather than harsh ones.

Practical Steps to Increase Sattva in Your Diet

1. Eat Fresh and Pure: Sāttvik food is very pure, not too heavy, and full of prāṇa or life-force. Focus on fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Avoid processed foods.
2. Plant-Based Diet: A sāttvik diet is almost entirely plant-based. Plants have more prāṇa and help maintain clarity of mind, which is essential for spiritual practice. Experiment with a plant-based diet and observe the results on your meditation and overall well-being.
3. Avoid Overcooked Foods: Foods should be lightly cooked to preserve their prāṇa. Overcooked, frozen, or canned foods have significantly less life-force.
4. Mindful Eating: Practice eating with awareness. Notice the colors, textures, and flavors of your food. This mindfulness brings a greater appreciation for your meals and enhances the sattva in your diet.

A sāttvik home and diet create a foundation for a clear and focused mind, which is crucial for uncovering and aligning with your higher purpose.

How to Overcome the Common Challenges

1. Start small: Celebrate small wins to stay motivated.
2. Dietary changes: Add more fresh, plant-based foods and cut down on processed ones.
3. Finding balance: A fully sāttvik environment might be too strict. Keep it simple and practical.
4. Overstimulation: Reduce distractions before starting any new practice to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
5. Inconsistent rest: If you're always pushing yourself, you might not rest enough. Remember, success also needs good rest.
6. Balancing renunciation: Don’t be too hard or too easy on yourself. Aim for a middle ground.

My e-book « Everything You Need to Know to Monetize Your Purpose » highlights the importance of awareness and clarity for any creative - and thus entrepreneurial - venture.

The practices mentioned here are foundational steps in the Awareness Process of the Sovereign Entrepreneur.

If you have been reading me for some time, you know I stress the importance of building a freedom-first business that aligns with your values and life goals. A clear and focused mind is critical for achieving such alignment.

I’m excited for you to explore these steps. If you have any questions or thoughts, just reply to this letter.

Thank you for reading— below a haiku I wrote over there.

Gray hair with white streaks
You dance in the singing water
I am your vastness

Be well,

Pierre-Boris