What does stillness to success mean? Well, that depends on where you’re at. Another day passes you by. You had a decent day, but it wasn’t much different from any other day. Maybe you finished work, spent some time with your friends or spouse, had dinner, and clicked on Netflix until bedtime.
And hit repeat 365 times.
Did your entire year just blow by? Is the routine sustaining your life leaving you unfulfilled? You know you want more but struggle to overcome the standstill you’re in right now.
Sound familiar?
Hey friend, I’m Ken Kladouris. Believe me; I’ve been where you’re at. I plateaued, maintaining my lifestyle but not enjoying it much. I was successful by conventional metrics — a house, good job, healthy finances — but I wasn’t successful at happiness.
Deep down, I wasn’t satisfied. I decided to learn how to envision, manifest, and live the life I wanted. As I built a strong foundation and found the recipe for stillness to success, I wanted to help others, publish a book, and spend weekends sailing the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
I didn’t overcome my stagnancy by sitting idly — it took discipline, hard work, and the one thing that has transformed my life completely: meditation.
I’ve come a long way to achieve success through stillness, and now I’m on fire for helping people like you find their paths to success.
If you’re reading this, you’re in the right place. In this article, I’ll shed light on what stillness to success means, offer actionable tips to practice stillness every day, and share a valuable resource to kickstart and maintain your upward momentum.
Ready to make waves in your life? Let’s dive in.
What is Stillness?
Stillness is a mindset fostered by the time-honored practice of meditation. We enter a controlled mindset during meditation using intentional techniques to release mental and environmental noise. When you find stillness, you can better focus on one thing (breath, sound, a vision, or mantra) to achieve a state of mental clarity and awareness.
The Buddha himself sat cross-legged in the lotus position, giving care and attention solely to his breath.
Legend has it that the demon Mara tried to distract him with beautiful and grotesque paintings to tempt or scare him out of his concentration. It didn’t work.
Buddha was the boss of his mind, remaining still, opening his heart to the world’s truths and, eventually, Nirvana (a mental state of complete peace and unity with the universe).
Stillness as Today’s Nirvana
Stillness is an earthly word for Nirvana. In stillness, your body and mind are quiet. You feel completely clear, open, and at peace amidst stress, anxiety, busy schedules, or family strains. In stillness, you see and accept the truth, as simple or complex it may be.
Some athletes describe this feeling of stillness when they hit peak performance during a training session or competition.
I find Nirvana through meditation. After 20 minutes of meditating, my mind feels settled — it’s not racing or ruminating on what I can’t control.
Stillness shows me there’s always a way forward and that I can get through anything, no matter how big the obstacle.
And it can do the same for you.
How Stillness Leads to Success
After learning how to find and practice stillness, my entire life changed.
I’m not exaggerating — I felt so at ease, and goals that once felt a light year away became attainable. This didn’t happen overnight but after consistent, devoted practice.
Today, about two-thirds of Americans feel stressed, and 40 million Americans are anxious. But the worst of all? Americans feel the least happy now than they have in the last 50 years.
Why is it important to be still? Because your livelihood and well-being depend on it.
Stillness Clarifies Your Goals
Do you make choices to appease others when they are far from your idea of fulfillment? You’re not alone. Many of us inadvertently take the wrong exit and drive 80 mph in the wrong direction.
Living life on other people’s terms is called noise. Once you get comfortable cultivating stillness, you’ll quiet that noise and redirect your course. Then, you’ll gain a better awareness of who you are and what you want for your life.
You Learn How to Adapt
Unexpected change can make us feel uncertain. We’ve all experienced this over the last two years as we adapt to social changes caused by COVID.
Achieving stillness provides you the mental clarity needed to adapt and strategically respond to stressful events.
When you control your response, you minimize the noise of anxiety, stress, or regret for having reacted poorly.
You Reduce Your Stress
Stress produces cortisol, a hormone that releases harmful chemicals. A chain reaction ensues, raising blood pressure and elevating fatigue. What’s around the next corner? Anxiety or depression.
The stillness achieved through meditation reduces the harmful, often toxic physical effects of stress. But I know what you’re thinking: easier said than done, right? So then, how do you develop a still mind?
Next, I’ll share exactly how to practice stillness.
3 Ways to Practice Stillness Every Day
Cultivating stillness is a gradual process — but how do you start? How do you practice stillness right now?
1. Sit Still for 20 Minutes Every Day
I find that my meditation feels best in the morning. I turn off my phone notifications, sit cross-legged in a quiet, comfortable area, and close my eyes. Then I inhale and exhale deeply. Even just one cycle energizes and reinvigorates me, and I enter an incredible, open headspace to tackle my day ahead with intention. I invite you to repeat this for 20 minutes.
As thoughts appear, let them swoosh by with every breath — you’ll get closer to stillness each time, I promise.
2. Establish Boundaries
When someone asks me, “what does it mean to practice stillness?” meditation is one factor that comes to mind. How you deal with external influences also contributes to your stillness practice.
Countless thoughts race through your mind when meditating. That’s normal — just check out the first time I tried meditating! But you can limit your racing thoughts by reducing stress outside of your meditation. How? By setting boundaries in your life.
Boundaries look different for everyone, but they should all share these characteristics:
- Defined work schedules
- Dedicated time for yourself
- Knowing how and when to say no
The whole methodology of stillness to success begins with an inner boundary to stop accepting the status quo. Every time you practice stillness, you strengthen your boundaries with yourself and others.
3. Practice Gratitude
When you feel down on yourself, it’s hard to recognize the good things around you, but they are there.
Look around every day and try to find one or two things, people, anything — that you’re grateful for. If it helps, write these things down in a gratitude journal. Gratitude helps us find peace in our surroundings and thus, cultivates stillness.
Kickstart your Stillness to Success Journey Today!
How do you get inner stillness? Every inhale and exhale; every 20-minute session you devote to meditation; every time you prioritize your well-being and practice gratitude — all of this brings you closer to stillness.
Quieting your mind is the first step to crystallizing the foggy path to your success.
I tell my clients all the time that they can’t achieve stillness overnight, but everyone can get there, including you. My course, Stillness to Success, builds on these topics and offers you tangible routines, practices, and clear paths toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet with stillness and meditation, why not continue your momentum? Enroll in my Stillness to Success course to accelerate your stillness journey. If you need instant help finding your way toward success, download my free e-book: Get Unstuck.
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