Have you ever wished you could go back in time and have a conversation with one of the greatest minds in history? Well, you can’t sorry, they’re dead, but you can still refer to the words they left behind.
Even
though these great teachers have passed on, their words still live, and in them
their wisdom. I’ve made a list of seven what I believe are some of the greatest
teachings by the world’s greatest minds.
1.
Self Acceptance
“If a house be divided against
itself, that house cannot stand.” – Jesus
When
we stop trying to be what we are not, we realize our authenticity. Before we
had knowledge, we were completely authentic. We learn to use knowledge to
measure and judge, which is a powerful tool we have as humans. However we
create an image of perfection in our mind of what we should be, but are not. We
confuse knowledge for nature. We believe in the lie of our imperfection. When
we realize this we can reclaim the truth of our perfection and live in love and
acceptance.
Action: Make
a commitment to never go against yourself. Practice non-judgment and realize
that the same part of your mind that condemns you is the same voice that caused
you to take the action in the first place. We don’t even have to believe what
we say to ourselves.
2. Overcoming Fear
“It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, “Always do what you are afraid to do.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The
best way to learn something is to dive right in to it. When we overcome our
fear of failure, we learn that only those who are asleep make no mistakes. Fear
is the only thing keeping us from experiencing a life of love and fulfillment.
If we make a commitment to an uncompromisable quest for truth, we will realize
that as we grow more into the truth, our fears start to disappear.
Action:
You must define your fears in order to conquer them. Create a list of
everything you’re afraid of and start facing them one at a time. Make a
commitment to yourself now to not let fear rule your life.
3. Intention and Desire
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”- Guatama Buddha
Our
thoughts determine our reality. When we stop thinking about what we don’t and
begin thinking about what we do want, our lives begin to transform. Instead of
working against our desires and intentions, we move into alignment with them.
Action:
Create a list of your intentions and desires. Wherever you go, take this list
with you. Read it when you wake up and before you go to sleep.
4. Happiness
“Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances.” – Benjamin Franklin
Happiness
comes from an inner peace, understanding and acceptance of life; a perspective
of truth that opens your eyes to the beauty of life all around us. Happiness
cannot be achieved by external status; it must be an internal state that we
realize when we see our innate perfection.
Action:
Realize that happiness is a choice. In every decision you make ask yourself
“how can I respond to make myself happy and fulfilled?”
5. Realizing Your Dreams
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” – Lawrence J. Peter
In
order for us to achieve our dreams, we must have a vision of our goals. Writing
down our dreams and creating a list of actions helps us stick to our plan. As
it’s said “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”. When we turn our goals
into measurable actions, we gain clarity and are able to see the necessary
steps we must take in order to achieve them.
Action:
Visualize a life of your wildest dreams. What did you dream of doing when you
were a child? What would you do if you had a million Euro/dollars? Create a
vision for your goals and start breaking them down into small actions that you
can take on a day by day basis.
6. Appreciation and Gratitude
“So much has been given to me; I have not time to ponder over that which has been denied.” – Helen Keller
How
many times do we count our misfortunes rather than our blessings? When we take
time to open our eyes to the miracle of life we can see the many gifts that
have been given to us. Remembering all the beautiful aspects of life and all
the reasons you are blessed can immediately shift our mood. We can move from
sorrow and despair to appreciation and hope.
Action:
Each time you find yourself complaining about something, re-direct your focus
to something you are grateful for. Make a habit of transforming your awareness
of troubles into an awareness of abundance.
7. The Art of Simplicity
“I made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it short.” – Blaise Pascal
Perfection
is not when there is nothing to add, but when there is nothing more to take
away. As Bruce Lee once said “the height of cultivation always runs to
simplicity.” True mastery of our lives is realizing the simple joys of life,
removing distractions and clutter from our lives.
Action: The
art of simplicity is knowing what to take away. Practice recognizing when
you’re spending your time on unimportant tasks and re-focus on the important.
This
list is by no means exhaustive. There are other many great teachings that I did
not include here, such as Einstein and Gandhi’s timeless classics. There are
also great teachings to be found from our parents or friends.
If
you have any lessons to add, I encourage you to share them with us in the
comments below.
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