A Journey to Your Mind
In our busy lives, people worldwide often find themselves stressed about various aspects of their lives. This includes themselves, their communities, other people, and their cultures. With the fast pace of modern life, it’s easy to lose sight of the peace of mind and clarity we all need.
That’s where “PMA Science: The 3-Minute Mind” and “PMA Science: Stoic 3-Minute Mind” come in. These transformative approaches combine the ancient wisdom of Stoic virtues, the dynamic principles of Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) espoused by Napoleon Hill, nature’s groundbreaking insights into Cycles, and insights from Psychology and Emotions, as revealed by Paul Ekman. This harmonious blend offers a roadmap to extraordinary living within your mind, which can be reflected in the outer world.
The primary goal is not to change the world around us but to transform the world within us. “Most people say we should work hard to leave a better world for our children. That is meaningless because it is like chasing butterflies. Instead, one should plant a flower garden for butterflies. – This is where Stoicism and PMA come into play as the flower garden… first, make your mind joyful, then pass that along to your children, who can continue to care for themselves and nature.” This is because happiness comes from within. Thus, by transforming our inner world, we can create the joy and fulfillment we seek, and this happiness can be reflected in the outer world!
Don’t accept religious falsehoods – everything is in your mind. As long as you learn to use the universal tools -your thoughts, the wisdom to manage your emotions and connect to the universe by stoic virtues, a mindset of a positive mental attitude (PMA), and psychology -you are way ahead of time!
The Essence of “The 3-Minute Mind”
Imagine having a mental sanctuary you can visit for three minutes and emerge with a renewed sense of purpose, clarity, and serenity. This is whenever you want. Guess what? You have had that mental sanctuary all along in your mind. Sitting in this mental sanctuary, you can ask Infinite Intelligence for any wisdom you want to improve. You can also ask for inspiration to accomplish your inner positive desires and strength to cope with difficulties. However, it’s essential to do it humbly and gratefully, just as Jesus the Nazarene, Buddha, Sahguru, Tonny Robbins, and Elon Musk did and do – to access universal wisdom. I call this sanctuary “The 3-Minute Mind“. It’s a practice of dedicating a brief, undisturbed moment to realign with your core values, adjust your attitude, and recalibrate your emotional compass – just for yourself! This practice draws heavily on Stoic virtues, perception, action, will, and discipline.
Moreover, it encourages us to see things as they are, act with purpose and integrity, and accept what we cannot change with grace and gratitude. It’s worthwhile to remember that the nature around us is just a perception of our minds.
Integrating Stoic Virtues
Stoicism is a wisdom philosophy that emphasizes recognizing what we can and cannot control. We can find peace and empowerment by focusing our efforts solely on the things we can control. For instance, let’s say there’s a challenging situation at work. A stoic approach involves acknowledging emotions and responding with rational action. This means focusing on what we can change or influence within ourselves and letting go of the things we cannot manage.
This is akin to attempting to row a boat across a river. We can control the oars and direction, but we cannot control the current or the wind. By focusing on the controllables, we can navigate the situation and reach our destination.
Understanding Stoicism and acting upon its virtues and disciplines helps us avoid getting overwhelmed by the situation and focus on taking the appropriate action. It also encourages us to look within and take responsibility for our actions instead of blaming external forces. Furthermore, it enables us to think critically and objectively about the situation instead of reacting emotionally.
The Power of a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)
Napoleon Hill’s PMA concept is not about unquestioning optimism but about approaching challenges with a constructive and proactive mindset. It’s about seeing opportunities in obstacles and learning from failure. For example, consider the story of someone laid off, only to use that setback as a catalyst to pursue a long-held dream of starting their own business, writing a book, starting school to learn new skills, taking low-paid jobs while searching for their next job, etc. This is PMA in action – a refusal to be defeated by circumstances and the courage to create opportunity from adversity.
Before discovering my other self, I complained about anything and everything. The result was often negativity from people, employers, bankers, the state, family, friends, co-workers, etc, and even my feelings and emotions. This world of negativity is still there. However, now that I understand PMA better, I can smile even when adversity hits hard. Furthermore, I tend to use, at times, the saying, “The sun always shines after a storm.”
-Just like one looks for shelter during a storm, one should use PMA principles to cope with adversity. – Jay Pacheco
The Cycles of Our Lives
Understanding the cyclical nature of life and our internal worlds can profoundly impact how we navigate challenges and opportunities. Like the seasons, our lives ebb and flow with growth, harvest, decay, and renewal periods. Recognizing these cycles helps us be kind to ourselves during low points, knowing they are just precursors to the next growth phase.
Life is cyclical, like a wave, with peaks and valleys that come and go. We must learn to ride the wave of change, understanding that it’s a natural part of life and that the next wave will bring us something new.
For example, a woman’s menstrual period is challenging, and most women are experts at coping with such a difficult period – because these fabulous women understand their menstrual cycles.
Recognizing the natural cycles of life can help us deal with difficult times and find positive aspects to them. It can also provide valuable insights into making the most of good times and preparing for challenging situations. By being mindful and intentional with our decisions and actions, we can become more accepting of ourselves and our circumstances.
Psychology and Emotions Revealed
According to Paul Ekman’s research on emotions, our emotional experiences are complex and universally understood. His book, “Emotions Revealed,” is categorized under behavioral psychology and psychology use, which we humans use daily without even realizing. Psychology isn’t just applied in therapy; it’s a way of life. We can use Emotions Revealed to understand our emotions better and learn to manage them scientifically. We can also use it to gain insight into others and empathize with them.
Furthermore, by being more aware of our emotions and their messages, we can navigate our internal world with enhanced empathy and wisdom. For example, realizing that anger is often a cover for deeper feelings of hurt or fear can help us transform our interactions into more constructive dialogues with others.
Emotions Revealed (ER) is mainly used to understand what other people are expressing and show both negative and positive feelings through their facial expressions; however, by combining Stoic, PMA, and ER tools, one can self-identify one’s positive or negative emotions and correct it as appropriate.
A Guide to Creating a 3-Minute Mind in 3 Minutes
1. Find Your Sanctuary: Identify a quiet space where you can retreat for a few minutes daily without interruption.
For example, it could be in your bedroom, bathroom, or car. – It doesn’t matter where, as long as you feel at peace.
2. Breathe and Center: Begin with a minute of deep, focused breathing to center yourself in the present moment.
If you’re looking for simple breathing techniques without attending a yoga class, I recommend reading or listening to Jay Shetty’s “Think Like a Monk.” You can also find other techniques on YouTube.
3. Reflect with Stoic Wisdom: Spend the next minute reflecting on a Stoic principle. You can ask yourself what’s within your control rather than what’s not regarding a current challenge.
For instance, instead of worrying about a difficult situation at work, you should reflect on improving your situation. This includes working harder, socializing less with energy stealers, taking courses to gain updated skills, or looking for another job.
4. Embrace PMA: In the next minute, you could reframe a recent obstacle as an opportunity. How can this challenge serve as a stepping stone toward growth?
For example, you could view a difficult conversation with a colleague as an opportunity to improve communication and correct your attitude.
5. Acknowledge the Cycle: Recognize where you are in your cycle. It is important to remember that you will experience growth if you are at a low point.
If you are feeling down, consider, for instance, the changes you have made and the goals you have achieved. Despite your lowest points, you have always returned to positivity!
6. Tune into Your Emotions: Consider your emotions with curiosity and compassion. What are they telling you, and how can they guide your actions?
For example, if you feel sad, you could ask yourself if there is anything you can do about the situation and if you can learn from it.
Conclusion
“The 3-Minute Mind” is a practice that combines Stoicism, PMA, Psychology, Emotions Revealed, and Cycles to lead a life filled with purpose, resilience, and joy. Regularly practicing mindfulness for growth can help us gain clarity, focus, and balance, which can be applied to various aspects of our lives. This makes us more resilient and connected to our inner selves, enabling us to discover meaning and purpose.
Note: To download the PMA Science guides “The 3-Minute Mind” and “Stoic 3-Minute Mind”, click here!
~ Jay Pacheco
March 16, 2024
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