1-Sentence-Summary: Real Change offers a way out of the burdening problems around the world that sometimes weigh on our spirit and make us feel powerless by presenting meditation practices that help us alleviate negative emotions and face these issues with determination and change them for the better.
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Favorite quote from the author:
Social media, the news, our neighbors, and many other external sources often throw negative energy at us, impairing our state of mind and making us feel vulnerable and powerless. When we’re exposed to all the injustice and pain that the world faces, it can be difficult to regain our well-being.
Real Change by Sharon Salzberg offers a way out of this toxic state of mind. By learning how to meditate and focus our attention better, we can calm our souls, target real problems, and achieve real results. We’ll explore ways to achieve mindfulness, become more grounded, and face problems like a pro.
For now, let’s explore three of my favorite lessons from the book:
- Meditation can help you build resilience and face problems with greater strength.
- Acknowledging negative feelings can help you overcome them and become a more pragmatic person.
- Rethink your connection to those around you and the world to improve your thinking.
There’s a saying that goes like this: Change happens from within. Therefore, if you want to live a more fulfilled life and face the world compassionately rather than offensively, you’ll have to dig deeper into these lessons and learn their true meaning.
Lesson 1: Meditation is a tool to help your mind toughen up and be more present
Oftentimes people think of meditation as something we do to get away from the world and into our heads. However, meditation helps our mind, body, and spirit sync so that we can live more in the present.
A stress-free mind, decluttered by all negative emotions such as stress or anxiety, can anticipate and solve problems more efficiently. In the face of political winds, world problems, personal issues, and other such externalities, it’s often best to take a step back and evaluate calmly.
Meditation is a powerful tool for embracing your present and acting on it. There are numerous real-life case studies where people found their inner strength to move forward, be actors of change, and take charge of their lives through meditation.
To start practicing it, you’ll have to close your eyes, find a comfortable position, and start focusing on your breath. Take a moment to feel the air coming in, expanding your belly, then release it. Take note of how your body feels, where the tension is, and simply acknowledge it. Soon you’ll feel it go away as your mind declutters. Naturally, you’ll start to feel your body, your tension points, and have thoughts coming at you, but it’s best to simply ignore those.
Lesson 2: To begin real change, you’ll have to face your negative emotions first
Just like with any problem-solving process, everything starts at the foundation. Naturally, you can’t heal if you don’t know the root cause of your impairment. Therefore, you’ll have to start digging deep into yourself and find the source of your negative emotions. It can be a trauma, a trigger, a loss, a bad memory, or anything at all.
The point is to build resilience. This is the ability to acknowledge your source of pain and convince yourself that you’re strong enough to overcome it. This approach to overcoming negativity can help you become stronger, develop a sense of groundedness and connect with your spirit.
For example, if you’re facing a physical injury and want to heal it, you’ll have to use your body and have it overcome pain gradually after the resting period is finished. Try healing emotional pain through lovingkindness meditation. Just close your eyes to enter a meditative state, and repeat words of compassion, such as: “I am safe.”
Lesson 3: To live your best physical and inner life, you’ll have to focus on your relationship with the world
Although we live in communities and depend on society, there’s inherently less and less compassion and connection happening between people. Due to our individualism and increased consumerism, we forgot everything, from nature to the human species, is interconnected.
Our biases based on gender, race, sex, and personal experiences cloud our judgment, and a defensive state of mind clouds our judgment and creates a bridge between ourselves and the rest of the world. However, such as all trees are interconnected, so are we, even if we don’t realize it.
To get a better view of the world and face problems with compassion rather than being defensive, or worse, offensive, we’ll have to get rid of these biases and start seeing the world as it is: an interconnected environment where everyone is striving for happiness, a fact that makes us even more similar to each other.
To start working on yourself, you’ll have to meditate and spend some time on yourself. Declutter your mind by doing something you enjoy, such as a bicycle ride, listening to soothing music, spending time in nature, or anything that makes you feel calm. Look for inner balance and work on your meditation skills.
Real Change Review
Real Change offers a different approach to improving your mentality, problem-solving skills, and perspective on life, starting from within. This book will teach you how to address hardship through meditation, face challenges with an unbiased mind, and find peace in the everyday chaos so that you don’t feel frustrated and anxious any more. If you’re struggling with a nervous mind, lacking a way out of your issues, or simply want to change your life for the better, this book is for you.
Who would I recommend the Real Change summary to?
The 30-year-old modern woman who feels overwhelmed with her busy schedule and wants to feel less anxious, the 40-year-old who feels stuck in life and is looking for mental peace, or the 28-year-old who can’t focus thier mind on their goals and wants to improve themselves through meditation.
Last Updated on October 6, 2022
