Josh Allred's Blog

Humans by nature are exceptional in our ability to give. No other creature is so destructive and generous at the same time. Quite remarkable actually.

How do we tap into our more generous side?

It’s much easier when we are rich. I am not talking about dollar amounts here. But rich in mindset. When we are thinking in terms of a growth mindset, infinite in possibility, when we are not focused on outcomes but instead focused on the experience, when we are being seekers and throwing ourselves fully into learning–we are rich. And when we are rich and abundant, we are more willing to give. With that attention, giving ourselves fully to the experience, we are now in a generous state.

Giving has nothing to do with writing a check.

We often create distractions to avoid the existential crisis we are in.

On one hand, we say, “I want to be free.”

On the other, we create work rules to insulate us so we don’t mess up a job and get fired. We expect students to memorize when the War of 1812 is rather than focus on the process of how to learn and solve interesting problems. We enforce laws like wearing seatbelts (for good reason) because we need someone to tell us what to do rather than accept responsibility for our own actions.

When we are free, we experience groundlessness. The feeling of free-falling. That feeling is uncomfortable, it creates tension in our lives. So much so, that we create systems that cause distractions to avoid this uneasiness.

These anchors in our lives hold us down to what we think is reality. It is the moments of clarity, prajna, trauma, and flow that shake us. These moments of awakening help us break habitual habits and routine thought patterns.

Life is precious. And it is precisely the finite nature of our beings that makes it so special to seize the moments we have. When we are mindful, we are alive. The rest of the time is just procedural.

We want freedom but we are also scared of it too.

More difficult to do than we think. When we set the intention, we are not just focused on doing the task at hand. We are also silencing the loon noises. The track that plays in our head over and over again that we are insufficient. When this tape plays, the action word is to say, “Stop.” Out loud if we must. With any old habitual habits, we are asleep. When we try something new, are present, we are awake and alive.

The thing about climbing is once you have checked the rope, the belay device is locked, and harnesses are set–you now no longer need to worry about the equipment and can instead focus on the climbing.

It is one less thing you need to worry about so you can focus on the task at hand.

It is when our mind wanders, “Did I really check to see if the knot is tied, correctly?” Now, we are losing focus. Energy is wasted and we are not performing the best we can do. Which, subsequently, leads to more falls.

This lesson is so critical and hard to master.

When our minds wander, we lose focus. When our attention is not on the task at hand, we are unable to give ourselves fully to the challenge.

The witness position is something each of us can take. It is when we realize that we are not our thoughts but an observer of our thoughts.

Assuming the witness position is recognizing the old tape we play about how we are not good enough. The thoughts that are working overtime to protect our ego.

When we focus on our breathing, focus on being present, exercise attention, and become mindful of these patterns–we are now witnessing what is.

Then, we can perform.

When you blame external forces, you lose power.

You may tell yourself a story that it is someone else’s fault that you tore your ACL while playing soccer. By doing so, you are ignoring the choice of footwear or how you made the play or deciding to play the sport at all. (You knew there was a risk, right?)

Even with the most crippling diagnosis or horrific accidents, you can still maintain power by not giving it away to circumstances out of your control. Life is hard. It will knock us down and inevitably end. Make no mistake. This is not easy to do. It is a process, a journey, not a destination.

It is in that space of adversity we can decide to give our attention and silence the loon noises that plague our lives. We are all worthy. Slaying the ego, that strength is inherit in all of us.

No one has the wisdom to know what is “good” or “bad”. What we know, is. When we can observe the thought patterns rather than wrestle with the narrative that serves to protect us and self-sabotage, we are opening more possibilities to learn and grow.

What are you trying to prove?

What are you trying to uphold?

Because if you are wrong, you might need to re-examine how every decision is made. It’s difficult to admit fault, that we have been wrong. That’s a painful process but necessary to evolve.

Is this all life has to offer? Is this really it? Is this where you thought you would be when you grew up? Perhaps, like many, your wrestle with life’s greatest questions has left you wanting more.

Rejoice! You are awake–perhaps for the first time in a long time. And you might be tapping into something only a few will journey.

When Copernicus first discovered that the earth revolved around the sun, the church and the people shunned him. Galileo afterward confirmed Copernicus’ theory–he too was banished. Instead of going to the gallows, he was put on house arrest for eight years before his death.

On his deathbed, his last words were, “No matter what they say, the earth revolves around the sun.”

That is a seeker. It can be a lonely path but it is available to all who want to tackle life’s most important questions and discoveries.

Fear is universal.

Fear of failure. Fear of exposure. Fear of succeeding. Fear of losing your status. Fear of phobias. Fear of vulnerability.

It is fear that is keeping us from taking a leap. From taking a chance on a project or standing up to someone. It is fear that gets in the way and draws us back to the ground. To fit in with everyone else.

Why are you afraid of this fear?

Write it down.

Examine it. Ask why again and again.

Not always the case but with enough examination, you will find a place to start.

So perhaps then, we don’t have to enough courage to finish a project–it can feel too overwhelming. What we need then is enough courage to start.

Starting is sufficient. And when you can learn to start, the next skill to master is to finish.

A great deal of what we have to learn depends on how much we have learned to ignore.