After reading Zen Stories 101, I realized that in ancient times, everything you practiced was considered a form of meditation. Meditation simply means focusing on your aim while letting all other thoughts come and go without attachment.
In the book The Practicing Mind, the author—who is a musician—explains that a musician repeats the same chord 55 times a day. If he skips this disciplined practice, he cannot perform well on stage. During this repetition, the mind creates noise: “There are more important things to do,”“Why am I doing this again?” But the musician stays focused on practice despite the distractions.
This is meditation too—whether you sit and focus on your breath, watching thoughts come and go, or whether you repeat a skill until your mind stops resisting. Meditation teaches you to focus so deeply that even the fear of death dissolves.
One Zen story tells of an ancient general who practiced archery meditation for more than 10 years. In another story, a young man excelled at wrestling in private practice but failed in public due to fear and shyness. When he sought help from a Zen master, he was told to meditate and create inner “waves” in his mind. Through practice, he generated such powerful mental waves that his fears were washed away. Eventually, he conquered his mind and performed confidently.
So meditation is not only sitting quietly; it is anything you practice with full presence. By repeating the same action again and again, you conquer boredom and the mind’s excuses. Even when the mind says, “You already know this; you are already a master,” true meditation is returning to practice with humility and focus.
If there is one mantra for success, it is this: do your best in the task at hand. The only way forward is to fully commit to what you are doing right now.
A better future is built by the efforts you put into the present moment. Meditation simply means focusing on the now—being fully engaged with what you are doing.
Even the idea of “practice makes perfect” is nothing more than repeating the same task with full attention, without letting negative or distracting thoughts pull you away—thoughts like “I should be doing something else,” “This is boring,” or “This isn’t important.”
Remember, life is short. Imagine that tomorrow might be your last day. Then give your 100% to your work, spend time with your family and friends, and honor what truly matters to you.
Life is full of challenges — and interestingly, these very challenges are what make life meaningful. If difficulties did not exist, life would lose much of its depth, purpose, and excitement. Our focus and interest grow when we push our limits to achieve something.
But many challenges appear without any clear reason. They arise unexpectedly. Yet even these teach us a valuable lesson: we must stay prepared. Otherwise, life will keep presenting the same lesson until we learn it.
At other times, challenges do have a clear cause. After facing them, it becomes our responsibility to identify the root reason and fix it. Once the cause is corrected, the problem is far less likely to return.
Of course, sometimes bad luck strikes. Unfortunate events happen despite our sincere efforts. We do everything we can, yet the outcome is not what we hoped for. In such moments, it feels like we have lost the battle.
This is where the Stoic idea of Amor Fati comes in — “love your fate.” It means embracing whatever happens with an open heart, trusting that everything ultimately comes from Allah, from a higher wisdom (Prajñāna Brahman), from a bigger picture beyond our control. Results are not always in our hands; only our actions are.
We feel happy when life aligns with our wishes, and unhappy when it doesn’t. But what truly matters is that we give our full effort with sincerity. When we do that, there is no regret.
Another Stoic principle reminds us to focus only on what is within our control. Whatever the situation may be, we always have a choice in how we respond, how we interpret it, and what we make of it.
I was sitting at a shrine when I saw a man lighting a clay lamp. There was already light around him, yet he still lit another. I watched him and asked myself, why?
Then it struck me: lighting a clay lamp is more than tradition. It is the hope a person carries in their heart.
Even when life moves against our expectations… Even when we feel crushed by circumstances… That small flame becomes a symbol of resilience.
It reminds us that things can get better — and sometimes, all we need is the courage to light the lamp again and begin once more.
Ah, I’ve started this practice — and the idea is simple: just write around three pages every morning. This concept was popularized by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way.
The purpose is not to write perfectly, but simply to write whatever comes to your mind. Repeated thoughts, worries about work, challenges in selling something, or even personal or spiritual reflections — everything is welcome.
The main benefit of this method is mental clarity. When your mind is clear, you can focus better and accomplish more. It also helps you define your daily to-do list and set your priorities.
When I started, I struggled to set clear goals. But as I continued this habit, clarity slowly emerged. Eventually, I created a one-pager containing all my goals, and from there, I began picking tasks aligned with them.
If you use digital tools like Notion, Obsidian, or Logseq, just aim for around 750 to 1,000 words each morning. Obsidian has a plugin that shows your word count, while in Logseq you’ll need to install one. I currently use Notion for calendar and time-blocking, not for note-taking.
So, if you’re facing writer’s block, start doing Morning Pages. As you write, thoughts begin to flow from your subconscious mind. Things you’ve forgotten resurface, and often, ideas for blog posts or creative writing emerge naturally from your daily reflection
We can’t be the best at everything, but we can excel in a few things. To truly move forward, we need to focus on a small area and put consistent effort into improving it. I often feel the temptation to do too many things after work, but I’ve realized that progress comes from repetition, not from spreading myself too thin.
Life is uncertain. The future never truly arrives, and the past can never be recovered. Sometimes I feel stuck — walking, working out, thinking about everything I’ve lost. I wonder how much of my life I’ve spent in compromise. There were moments when I couldn’t do anything, and moments when I had to make my parents happy.
What I gained or lost can’t be changed now. The Stoics say: focus only on what you can control. Direct your energy toward what can still be changed.
Ancient wisdom teaches the same — stay in the present moment. Live it fully. Learn, grow, and improve from where you stand. The true Sufis call this “Sahib-e-Haal” — the master of the present moment.
So what should I do? Be aware. Stay grounded in the now. Like a hunter fully alert — either he hunts, or becomes the hunted.
The past is just memory, the future an illusion. The best thing is to believe that the world is full of possibilities. If something bad can happen, why can’t something good?
So I choose to hope for the best — and focus only on now