CLOSING A CHAPTER
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here and that’s mainly because I feel like I’ve contributed all I can give this community for now. Anything else would be just repeating myself over and over again. I’ll wrap up with this note and share what in my eyes is the best advice I can give. I’m getting close to a year so I would say this has worked for me.
Read the EasyPeasy book
Read that book at least once, preferably multiple times. You’ve really got nothing to loose but freedom to gain. The book really helps you unmask the poison that PMOing is and helps you understand what you need in your life to reach freedom.
Freedom lies in tranquility of mind and a calm state is reached through mindfulness. Mindfulness is seeing things for what they really are. Other book recommendations I’d give around those topics:
- The Easy Way to Mindfulness: https://www.amazon.com/The-Easy-Way-to-Mindfulness-audiobook/dp/B076HCNNPG
- How to be a stoic: https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Stoic-Ancient-Philosophy/dp/1541644530
- The Daily Stoic: https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Stoic-Meditations-Wisdom-Perseverance/dp/0735211736
in that particular order. Books can also be found on http://libgen.rs/.
Remind yourself
Once I read the books I put my focus on reminding myself regularly. The reminders consist of short notes that I read, think about, journal about and adapt if needed. I use the reminders multiple times a day.
The EasyPeasy book gives you a set of instructions throughout the book and at the end there’s a summary. (Read the book first and then read the summary!). Those instructions are a great set of sentences that one could use as reminders. I personally have found that combining those instructions with stoic teachings has helped me also improve on other areas of life. That’s up to you. At least use the EasyPeasy instructions as reminders, if you don’t want to use anything else. Whatever you choose, use the reminders and follow what they are saying, otherwise you are not using them properly. If you fail, brush it off and continue working on the reminders. Maybe read the book again if needed.
The point of using the reminders is simple: over time, the reminders come naturally to you. You then keep using them on a daily basis but they also come naturally, at times. Whatever challenge is thrown at you, you think of those reminders. While the EasyPeasy reminders mainly evolve around PMO, stoic reminders for example apply to many other areas (I can’t think of one that stoic principles don’t apply to!).
Just like the EasyPeasy reminders/instructions, your reminders should include positive things too. Leaving PMO behind is not only about knowing the damage PMO causes but also about rejoicing life and appreciating the seemingly “little” things.
Take care.