Adam Lobon's blog

The iPad, our Mind & Meditation

Apples new piece of technology the iPad has been unveiled!  According to the Vice President of Apple "it will change the way that we do things everyday". Because it is difficult to grasp and to understand how it functions  "it is quite magical". 

You will be able to access iTunes, the App. store and also now iBook.  A whole new market has opened for App. developers wishing to create a product specifically for this gadget - Steve Jobs called it a "gold rush".

When I heard the interview immediately I thought of the capacity of our own mind.  The illusive aspect of our own mind is that it isn't tangible - it lacks form, so its difficult to get your teeth into it!!

Nevertheless it can be accessed and discovered in meditation.  Our mind creates our world and our reality - an incredible piece of technology, it is difficult to grasp and understand just like a gadget - however if we start to discover the world of our mind we can realize how we create ways of thinking that bring about peace and happiness. 

The original gold rush (1848/49) in California led to 300,000 people travel West to access a prosperous, happier existence. Such is the lure of wealth. Did they find peace & happiness?

As the Beatles sang 'Money can't buy you love' and then later 'All you need is love' - words which ring so true.  We all know we are happiest when the mind is filled with love and positivity.  However in the back of the mind "a little bit of money wouldn't go amiss" - "or a new gadget from Apple!".

"It improves the quality of your life."    - Possibly!!

The guys at Apple once said that they key to the iPod and iPhone was its design. It tapped into peoples desire - that's exactly what they do - the iPad will be a great success it follows the same model, it will feel familiar as well. 

Its the latest attempt to satisfying desire - does it work?

Apples technology is limited in that it works with the physical, what we can feel and touch - "you can hold the whole world in your hands with iPad" - which world though? 

Try discovering the world of the mind - it is magical and without boundary.

Meditation, Avatar, 3D worlds

 

At the beginning of the most ambitious, creative cinematic experience ever created, there is a dialogue which involves scientists saying to Jake a paraplegic. former marine "how would you like a fresh start in a new world?" - he accepts the offer.

If you were offered the opportunity 'for a fresh start in a new world?' what would you say?, what would race through your mind?  A fresh start sounds good - physically we can do that by showering each day, we feel better for it, what about mentally? A new mind?  A new world?  Where do these things come from.

We can put on our 3D glasses for nearly three hours and step into a three dimensional world - but then when the credits come we end up in the car park driving home in what can sometime seem a less exciting, magical world, its still in 3D mind you.

Where does a new mind, a new world come from? - Meditation.

Meditation works directly with your mind - correct meditation can change, improve, enhance and enlighten your mind; not necessarily as quick as walking into a 3D Film, but over time the effects can be greater and more long lasting.  In reality we live in a 3D world that is created by the projector of our own mind.  Change your mind, change the world.

The world that appears to the mind will change if the mind is developed in meditation - every time we arise from meditation we step into a new world - "but it looks the same" - perhaps...we need to remember that appearances are deceptive. If we look beneath the surface then we can see change takes place - overtime with steady, consistent effort we will discover new worlds, before our very eyes.

We can be the director, producer, screen writer etc of our own personal cinematic 3D world and have much more fun than a short stint at the cinema with 3D glasses on....

Next upcoming Meditation workshop.....  

Request a workshop near you 

Bring your 3D glasses!!

Like the picture above? Then you may enjoy the Illustrated Meditation Manual 

 

 

Cadburys, Meditation & Marketing

Today we have heard the inevitable takeover of Cadburys by the huge US giant Kraft - sparking off jokes about the fusion of chocolate & cheese!

So sitting a few miles from where the Cadburys seeds were first sown, I take this opportunity to look at the early years of Cadburys. How this enterprise initially grew from humble beginnings into a global phenomena worth 11 billion dollars and we can learn both spiritually and materially from John Cadbury's vision.....

John Cadbury began his small stall in Birmingham in 1824 not as a confectionery shop but selling tea and coffee and drinking chocolate.  He was experimental with his designs leading to the innovative recipes and styles of chocolate that we enjoy today.  He made it less addictive thereby more popular and accepted and used a skillful marketing campaign to get the word out. For example the famous Bournville chocolate, he used the French word 'ville' to bring a Swiss/French slant to his brand making it more appealing and luxurious. His hard work and innovation paid off in 1854 when he received a Royal Warrant as manufacturers of chocolate for Queen Victoria.

He had a strong philanthropic drive which was one of the reasons he was so successful as an entrepreneur.
He was aware of the destructive dangers of alcohol so he created hot drinks as an alternative.  As a pacifist and a non conformist he strongly believed in social reform and was greatly influential in stopping the use of chimney sweeps.  He also set up 'Animal Rights' which would later inspire the RSPCA

He passed his business to his sons who worked for long hours with little reward with just sheer determination and perseverance kept them going.  However using new recipes and experimentation created innovative new products that ensured their success.

George Cadbury inherited the same kindness and looked after his workers health, education, training and pensions. Creating a strong, healthy and committed workforce, these actions were far ahead of his time - he treated his workers as part of a family and gave them recognition when it was due.

Jumping ahead to the modern day, we can hope that this takeover will highlight the great work that was accomplished in the early days at Cadburys.

From a business and marketing point of view we can draw great inspiration and see that two of the most important qualities for success is innovation & kindness.  Interestingly these two qualities both require space and time - which we seem to have less and less of. The 'no time', 'no space' culture.

If you have got this far in the article - congratulations you made the time to stop!

Meditation practice gives us time and space each day to reflect - this aids us in becoming kinder, we have more space in our heart and actually more time to give others.  When the mind is still and peaceful then naturally it is more creative and open to new possibilities.

The world of spam - blanket advertising - just hoping for the best by marketing to everyone and meeting no one is a lazy approach which requires no space - just pushing.  Its unattractive and doesn't work.  Meditation practice helps to sharpen, focus and redefine our mind moment by moment so we realize the next moment can be an opening, a possibility, a space for change.

On this historic day marking the takeover of Cadburys it is good to reflect on the good work that was accomplished and how we can move forward....

Meditation - 'I have a dream'

Today in the US is Martin Luther King Day - yesterday was his birthday (15th January) - on this day its good to remember and try and initiate his vision and dream into our own life.

With respect to equality which was one of Dr M L King's main visions for humanity we can look into our own mind and see whether there is equality in there.  This can be done in the quiet of meditation.  When there is equality in the mind there is an openness to mankind outside our close circle.  An acknowledgment of the existence of others, when are walking down the street, driving on the roads, shopping, we can bring the people that we see into our lives simply by recognizing of them, this is the first step, bursting the bubble.

Sometimes a simple "hi, how are you?" does it - regarding our society as a community, as a family - even thought they may look different and hold different or even conflicting views doesn't mean they are separate from us.  The fact that we see them in our life means we are connected.

Its easy to pick up on a trait  of a persons character or something about the way they look or talk and then to dismiss t or push them to one side as a result  - when we have an equality in our mind then we can go deeper than that - scratching beneath the surface and seeing the person as actually, very similar to ourselves - in pursuit of a happy, meaningful life.

Often people talk about 'love' for the world and 'all you need is love!' yes very true but if there is no equality in the mind then it is very difficult or near enough impossible to have love - equality is the first step.  We can look at the world and see a lack of equality - yes.  What is the best way to protest against this?  To recognize the lack of equality within our mind, to challenge, and start to move forward.

This can be done in meditation and then watching and observing the play of our mind in our daily life.  Also to 'have a dream' for our future and for our world.  We can imagine a world in the future that does have more equality - we can imagine our self in the future with more equality - more and more friends start to come into our life.
 

Meditation can makes us proactive!

Meditation is a way of life - creating a still, peaceful mind, then cultivating a positive attitude and focusing on that thought or intention.

Upon arising from Meditation we can integrate our experience into the world through our thoughts, speech and actions.

Meditation can be very proactive. 

The action of Meditation is not passive if engaged in with the right intention.  When the mind is centered then it becomes more focused and powerful, this aides us in being of optimum benefit to others.  Our capacity grows.

We all have great potential for growth both spiritually and materially - identifying with this potential when the mind is still in Meditation gives us great confidence, energy and power.

To engage in positive action - such as helping a stranger, donating time and money, offering kindness, offering support and  sharing our time requires confidence; this can be grown through focused Meditation.

Meditation brings into our life the following ten benefits:

Greater Focus
Swifter Positive decisions
A Gathering of Positive Thoughts
Access to Realizing our Potential
The Ability to Keep our Vision on the Horizon
Increased Capacity to Help Others
An Experience of Empathy
The Ability to be Calm in Difficult Situations
A Natural Happiness
A Sense of Humor!

When these benefits start flowing into our life then we are naturally driven forward...to be of benefit to others .  The time (which is relative concept) starts to appear in our life - we give that to others.

Outer and Inner Worlds - Part 1

We have both an outer and inner world.  Its very easy to be caught up in the outer world - the physical world that we live, work, eat and play in - so much so that we can forget about our inner world.  The world that we experience exclusively when we are asleep. 

As we know elements of our day effect our sleep - circumstances, visions and emotions filter into our dreams.  If we can tap into and appreciate our internal world then we can start to affect change in our outer world.

Meditation and positive reflection is a way of discovering and understanding our inner world - the change that we can make in meditation will then influence our outer world.  For example if we pacify our mind in meditation at the beginning of the day then we take that experience into our life, influencing our waking world. The world that we experience is seen through the filter of our mind.  This is where our outer and inner worlds meet.  Meditation helps us to make changes within and then assists us seeing the relationship between our outer and inner worlds.

Without retreating or running away from our life regular Meditation practice can liberate us from the stresses that come from an exclusive preoccupation with the outer world.

Google, Meditation & Leadership

Google has revolutionized the way in which we live our lives - information can be accessed immediately. We can become a leader and build a following.  Everyone is looking for someone to follow.
Leaders are followers and followers are leaders.  They depend upon each other - in some respect followers lead the leaders and leaders follow the followers.

Openness is of paramount importance within organizations - Google revealed there openness today by revealing the attack on the accounts of human rights activists within China.

China have always maintained a Great Firewall towards the access of information - Google's mission is to make information freely available - what the individual then choose to think or do with that is their liberty.

The internet has proven to be a powerful tool in the past few years of the dissemination of information, where previously it would have been restricted such as in the recent occurrences in Iran and Burma.

Google helps to broaden our perspective through the understanding and filter of global information.

Similar to meditation - meditation practice helps to filter out what we don't want in our mind and to focus on what we want to keep in there.  Then to actively moving forward with that information, sharing it with others.

If we have a focused and concentrated idea and share this with others naturally we become a leader and empower others to lead.

Haiti Earthquake

The Red Cross have opened up emergency funding for those caught up in the earthquake in Haiti.

They also need our kind thoughts sent to them - whether through meditation, prayer or just spending a few minutes in quiet thought - wishing they receive positive help and are able to move forward with strength.

We rest in the cradle of death -  seize the time we have on earth to be of benefit to as many people as possible... overcome fear and extend loving kindness.

Welcome to my blog - here you can share my rifs, meditations and thoughts - pass them onto others if you find them helpful