How Meditation Can Lead to Better Decision Making — EastWesticism
We all know meditation can make us more peaceful, patient, relaxed and joyful. We know it lowers stress, anxiety and blood pressure. But did you know meditation can lead to better decision making?
In this article, I’ll tell you how it works and show you how to use meditation for better decision making.
Meditation Makes Us Smarter
Meditation makes us smarter?!?! It’s true! Meditation isn’t about shutting down our thoughts. It’s about becoming aware of our thoughts. Usually, when we go about our busy lives, we think our thoughts.
In meditation, without distractions we are able to simply observe our thoughts. This allows a greater intelligence to come into play. We are able to perceive our own mindset, notice our preconceived notions, and discover our biases.
The more we meditate, the wiser we become because we aren’t victims to our same old habitual thinking patterns. The more we become aware of our thoughts, the less they control us. We can perceive our own thoughts with clarity and we can choose the best path forward.
Only in this way can we stop reacting unconsciously to situations and instead we can make new, smarter, better choices. By bringing conscious awareness to our thoughts, meditation can lead to better decision making.
Meditation Gives Us the Opportunity to Reflect
Beyond learning to focus our mind, be more present and increase our patience, meditation gives us the time we need to fully reflect on any situation or circumstance.
More time spent sitting without distractions means more time for ideas to pop in our head. It gives us the time to play out various scenarios in our mind. We can see infinite possibilities and how best to proceed forward.
As Albert Einstein said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
Einstein was not being modest. He knew that his true gift was being able to ponder, reflect, contemplate and focus better that anyone else of his time. Imagine if he knew about meditation!
The more we meditate on a particular dilemma, the better our decision making process becomes.
