meditation and mindfulness

An Unexpected Meditation

Tonight's meditation and discussion was based on the following reading...


LIST OF 108

The List of 108 is a powerful process you can use to generate ideas, clarify your thoughts, uncover hidden problems or get solutions to any specific questions you’re interested in. 108 is a sacred number in many spiritual traditions. It seems to have a truly cosmic significance. Did you know that: (1) Distance between earth and sun = 108 times the sun's diameter; (2) Distance between earth and moon = 108 times moon's diameter, and most remarkably; (3) Diameter of the sun = 108 times the earth diameter. This technique uses this cosmic proportion and in a very simple in principle: state your issue or question in the top of a blank sheet of paper and come up with a list of one hundred and eight answers or solutions about it. Some examples are, “108 Ways to be More Peaceful” or “108 Ways to Improve my Relationships” etc.

Are you thinking, “One hundred and eight entries? Isn’t that way too many?” 

Actually it is exactly this exaggerated number that makes this technique powerful.

When starting your list you may believe that there’s no way to get it done. But then, at some point during the exercise, you will naturally have your subconscious mind naturally engaged in the process. That’s when you will uncover many new and surprising answers, and ideas will start flowing again. Making a List of 108 is a beautifully articulated cooperation between the conscious and subconscious minds tackling one single problem.

The goal of a List of 108 is to take your mind by surprise. With a List of 108 you tend to get more unexpected ideas, because you catch your subconscious off guard, not giving it any time for its behind-the-scenes editing.

Ground Rules

There are only two simple principles to keep in mind when making Lists of 108:

1. Do it at one sitting
This is the one crucial element for the technique to work. If you end up doing your hundred entries, though over many sessions, you’ll defeat the point of the technique. Before starting your list, make yourself comfortable and try to block all potential interruptions.

2. Eliminate distractions
Just like most brainstorming techniques, you should strive to eliminate all activities unrelated to idea generation during the brainstorming session. Just focus on getting the ideas out of your head as quickly as possible following these rules:
•	Don’t judge or evaluate ideas; you’ll review them later.
•	Don’t write complete words or sentences if that slows you down.
•	Don’t stop to wonder how far in the list you are; number the lines from 1 to 108 in advance or use numbered lists if you’re using a word processor.
•	Don’t worry too much about repeating entries; duplicates can shed light on your patterns of thought.



How it works

To understand why creating a List of 108 works, consider what happens during the process of making one. There are three distinct phases you will usually go through when making your list:

1. First 30 entries or so: where you escape circular thinking
The first items are the easiest to come up with. In this first phase, your conscious mind is still in charge and you’ll most probably just dump ideas you’re already familiar with.

2. Next 40 entries: where patterns emerge

In this phase you’ll start noticing recurring themes and patterns of thought. Phase two is usually the hardest one, as you may find it difficult to let go of the ideas you had in the first phase in order to come up with new, distinct ones.
Bear in mind that it’s exactly this struggle that enables you to get to the third and most fruitful phase, hence the importance of not giving up at this point.

3. Last 30 entries: where the gems are

At this point you will already have exhausted most “logical” answers, allowing your subconscious mind to express itself more freely. Don’t be surprised if you get at least one or two really nonsensical or seemingly illogical entries. You may feel tempted to not write them down (“How on earth did I think that?”). Write them down anyway: these wacky entries may sound far from profound, but it’s exactly those items you’re after.

Also, after coming up with so many entries, it’s not rare to experience a shift in perspective: items that you first felt as being awkward will seem to better fit now than when you started the list. Moreover, your whole attitude towards the problem can change as you develop your entries: you may even come to the conclusion that you should be dealing with a different list topic altogether.

The List of 108 technique can be used for a lot more than solving specific problems; it is a general-purpose personal development tool that can help increase your self-knowledge, motivate yourself, and much more. It is a great way to shift your energy in a relatively short period of time.

108 Things to Write a List of 108 About…

1.	108 Things I’m Grateful For
2.	108 Ways I Could Nurture Myself
3.	108 Ways I Limit Myself
4.	108 Things I’m Good At
5.	108 Things I Like About Myself
6.	108 Questions I Want Answers
7.	108 Ways To Improve My Life
8.	108 Things I’ve Accomplished In My Life
9.	108 Things I Tend To Feel Stressed About
10.	108 Things I’d Do If I Had Time
11.	108 Things I Need Or Want To Do
12.	108 Things I Want To Accomplish In The Next X Months
13.	108 Things To Do Before I Die
14.	108 Things That Are Going Wonderful
15.	108 Reasons I Am The Most Fortunate Person In The World.
16.	108 Reasons I Want To (Do Something)
17.	108 Reasons I Don’t Want To (Do Something)
18.	108 Things I Want In A Ideal Partner/Relationship
19.	108 Things I Have To Offer To A Partner/Relationship
20.	108 Fears I Have Not Yet Resolved
21.	108 Things That Once Scared Me But Don’t Anymore
22.	108 Ways To Save Money
23.	108 Selfless Things I Have Done 
24.	108 Adversities I Have Overcome
25.	108 Amazing Ideas To Grow My Business
26.	108 Ways I Can Serve
27.	108 Ways To Spread Happiness Everyday
28.	108 Things I’d Like To Learn
29.	108 Fears About Being Richer Than I Ever Imagined
30.	108 Things I Believe In
31.	108 Achievements (Qualities) I Am Proud Of
32.	108 Things I Value In Life
33.	108 People Who Have Inspired Me
34.	108 Small Things That Make Me Happy 
35.	108 Small Things That Make Me Upset
36.	108 Judgments I Make
37.	108 Things I Find Hard To Share
38.	108 Ways I Can Say Or Show Others "I Love You"
39.	108 Ways To Be More Mindful / Grateful Each Day
40.	108 Best Books / Movies / Music That Touched My Heart
41.	108 Things [Peoples, Places] I Love
42.	108 Things To Do When I’m Depressed
43.	108 Things To Do When I’m Alone
44.	108 Rules I Have Broken
45.	108 Skills I Have
46.	108 Feelings I Am Having Right Now
47.	108 Childhood Memories
48.	108 Things I Would Take If Alone On A Desert Island
49.	108 Ways In Which I’m Generous
50.	108 Ways To Be More Productive
51.	108 Causes I Care About 
52.	108 Things I Want
53.	108 Places I’d Like To Visit
54.	108 Things I’d Like Someone To Tell Me
55.	108 Things I’d Like To Hear
56.	108 Things I’d Like To Tell My Child
57.	108 Things I Want My Child To Know About Me
58.	108 Wonderful Qualities I Admire In Others.
59.	108 Ways To Make Everyday The Happiest Day Of Your Life
60.	108 Adjectives Describing Myself
61.	108 Decisions Other Have Made For Me
62.	108 Decisions I Made That Turned Out Well
63.	108 Things I’d Do If I Had Six Months To Live
64.	108 Expectations Others Have Of Me
65.	108 Expectations I Have Of Myself
66.	108 Judgments I Haven’t Released
67.	108 Ways To Be More Creative
68.	108 All Time Favorite Quotes / Stories
69.	108 Things I’d Save If My House Were On Fire
70.	108 Things I Want To Tell My Mother [Father]
71.	108 Things I’d Never Tell My Mother [Father]
72.	108 Financial Fears
73.	108 Excuses I Make For Myself
74.	108 Things I Need/Want To Control
75.	108 Fears I Have About Giving Up Control
76.	108 Answered Prayers
77.	108 People I’d Like To Meet
78.	108 Reasons Why I Get Jealous
79.	108 People I Admire
80.	108 Tasks I’ve Been Procrastinating
81.	108 Memories From My Past
82.	108 Things That Energize Me
83.	108 Things I Haven’t Finished
84.	108 Things I’m Glad I’ve Done
85.	108 Things I’ll Never Do Again
86.	108 Ways To Generate Income
87.	108 Principles To Live By
88.	108 People I Want To Forgive
89.	108 People I Want To Forgive Me
90.	108 Things To Forgive Myself For
91.	108 Mistakes I Have Made
92.	108 Lessons I Have Learned
93.	108 Ways To Be Healthier
94.	108 Things That Make Me Cry
95.	108 Things That Make Me Laugh
96.	108 Things I’d Delegate
97.	108 Prayers / Blessings I Have For Others
98.	108 Possessions I’m Ready To Do Without
99.	108 Small Ways To Positively Change My Life 
100.	108 Favorite Recipes
101.	108 Favorite Jokes
102.	108 Ways To Be More Energetic
103.	108 Things To Learn 
104.	108 Things I Need On A Desert Island
105.	108 Best Principles I Have Learned
106.	108 Ways To Spread Happiness In My Communities
107.	108 Ways to Be More Creative
108.	108 More Such Lists!

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