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Anthony Quintiliani, Ph.D, LADC

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July 5, 2019 By Admin

Failure and Success: After We Fail, We Succeed

Failure and Success: After We Fail, We Succeed

Humans tend to get very discouraged when things do not go our way. This may be especially true for younger people, who have grown up attached to their instant gratification digital devices. Below I will list several highly successful people, but I will also note their many failures before they succeeded in life.

To make this post more personal I will begin with myself, although I do not AT ALL pretend to be famous like the people who will follow. I was ill as a child; my illness required me to be home-tutored for about 2 years. I missed all the basics in grades 1 and 2. When I returned to school in the third grade (with an incompetent teacher) I was hopelessly behind in the basics of English language skills, math skills, etc. Things were so bad that I had to participate in special education for a number of months just to catch up on the basics. I failed in my early educational experiences, but I succeeded in many other ways later. Lucky for me that my earlier school failure did not harm my self-esteem. However, even today I notice that I work harder academically than necessary for no clear and conscious reasons. The love from my parents and siblings helped me during my earlier failures. With parental and family supports and encouragement, hard work, and rigid determination I was able to do better later in public school. That said, I did no studying in grades 9 and 10, but decided to open a few books in grade 11 just in case I decided to apply to college. Some, very few, of my high school teachers thought I possessed good potential. I was more interested in part-time work to pay for my car, and going to parties with my friends. My real introduction to learning happened when I was a first year college student; I pulled an all-nighter for a Greek History exam. My Dean had warned me that I may be required to leave college in December due to poor grades (C-s), so I decided to do some academic work. There was NO ROOM for failing in education in my family. My father was totally shocked when he came to my room to say goodnight at 11PM!  At that moment I realized (an AHAhhh! moment) that there were some parts of learning and especially reading that I liked. My father, a man of far greater intelligence and wisdom than I will ever have, was unable to pursue his own education – or even complete high school. His father, a skilled stone mason, was injured at work so my dad had to quit school to support his own family of origin. My parents behaviorally conditioned us to desire higher education and training. Of four children, three completed doctorate degrees and one had a long and very successful career in a specialized trade. I graduated with high honors from college and eventually earned two Master’s degrees, a Certificate of Advanced Study, and a Ph.D. (in Psychology). I have had a successful 35-year career in mental health and addictions treatment (mainly psychology of healing) as well as teaching in higher education (The Ohio State University and The University of Vermont, etc.). I now feel generally good about my accomplishments.  Now on to the very famous people you all know; these people made it BIG eventually but had many, many failures along the way. They never gave up!

Abraham Lincoln – “Honest Abe” was perhaps the most effective President in American history. He saved the Union and maintained The United States of America at great cost to himself and others. Here are some of his earlier failures before greatness. When he more of less failed as a business person, he turned his attention to politics. He failed to win election to his state legislature; he failed to win election to Congress; he failed to win appointment as Commissioner of The General Land Office; he failed to win election to the Senate; he failed to win nomination for Vice President in 1856; and, again failed to win election to the Senate a second time.  Lincoln never gave up!

Henry Ford – The person who revolutionized the industrial age when he made cars successfully via assembly lines at reasonable costs. However, Henry Ford failed five times; he became bankrupt and in debt before he made it big. Ford never gave up!

Winston Churchill – The iron man of Britain in the second World War. He failed the sixth grade. He never won a public elections despite several attempts until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62. His first major political success was in his 60s. He is remembered for many great things. One important thing we remember about him is his statement about “never, never, never, never  give up!” Churchill never gave up!

Charles Darwin – Darwin gave up a medical career to pursue his heart-felt interests in biology and evolution. In his autobiography, he noted that all his teachers and his father considered him to be a very ordinary person and below the common standards of intelligence. Darwin never gave up!

Babe Ruth – He was famous for his generally unmatched home run records. Rust hit 714 home runs; however, on the way he also produced 1,330 strike outs. Do the math! His strike out record was close to 50% of his home run record. Ruth never gave up!

Walt Disney – The most famous of all cartoon and cartoon entertainment innovators.  He was fired from a newspaper job because he lacked imagination and had few good ideas. His initial proposal for Disneyland park in Anaheim, California, was rejected by the city due to their belief that up-standing people would never attend such a place. Disney Never gave up!

The Beatles – Perhaps the most successful rock and roll group in the history of the world (some say The Grateful Dead). Decca Records and Columbia Records refused to sponsor the Beatles because they did not like their sound and because guitars were on their way out of popular music. The Beatles never gave up!

Elvis Presley – The “King of Rock and Roll” was fired after one performance by Jimmy Denny at the Grande Old Opry. Elvis was advised to go back to truck driving for his work. He eventually changed music forever. Elvis never gave up!

Thomas Edison – His teachers thought he was dumb. He was fired from his first two jobs due to being un-productive. He made 1,000 attempts to invite the light bulb. He eventually succeeded. Edison never gave up!

Albert Einstein – Famous for his theories about Relativity, he revolutionized the field of physics and astronomy. As a child he was a slow learner, not speaking until age four and not reading until age seven. His teachers noted that he was mentally slow. He was expelled from school, and failed to be accepted at the Zurich Polytechnic School. However, he succeeded in so many grand ways. Einstein never gave up!

This post is not to suggest that any of us may be as great as some the famous people noted above. However, it is testament to being stubborn in the face of adversity, and never giving up. Get up and go onward, over and over and over again. Good luck on your journey.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC  

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont and the Home of The Monkton SanghaChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

 

Filed Under: ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, Benefits of Mindfulness, Failure, Featured, Mindful Movement, MIndfulness, Success Tagged With: DR ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, FAILURE, SUCCESS

February 4, 2017 By Admin

Using Mindful Movement as Part of Practice

Mindful Movement as Part of Practice

Mindful movement is an accepted part of regular practice. Such practices as walking meditation, more vigorous yoga asanas, qi gong, and tail chi are all part of this respected mindfulness tradition. Here I will introduce you to a very simple pre-meditation movement sequence.  Hope you practice it very soon.

  1. Stand in horse posture, with your body erect, back straight, and your feet shoulders’ width apart. Just remain still and quiet for a moment. Be soft in your muscles.
  2. Fold your hands together with fingers interlocking, and raise your arms up over your head. Stand quietly for a moment.
  3. Begin to breathe in and out at a slower, deeper rate. SMILE!
  4. As you breathe in bend your body so your arms/folded hands sway to the right – stretch a bit; then breathe out and bring your arms/folded hands to center again over your head.
  5. Breathing in again, bend to the left as above – stretch a bit; breathing out come to center again.
  6. Repeat this breathing movement in to the right, out center, in to the left, out center for ten times. Remember to continue smiling.
  7. After ten times, slowly bring your arms to your sides, and allow your body to sway gently in any direction you wish.
  8. Now stop swaying, and be in full awareness with your still, quiet body and mind.
  9. Notice your current state of mind-body being.

For more information refer to Bradley, C. Try this movement practice before you meditation. www.mindful.org/mindful-moveent-practice…Retrieved January 10, 2017. This post is a modified version of the noted instructions.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

Mindful Happiness cover designs.indd

New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

Filed Under: Activities, Featured, Meditation, Meditation Activities, Mindful Awareness, Mindful Movement, MIndfulness Activities, Yoga Tagged With: ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, HORSE POSTURE, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, MINDFUL MOVEMENT, YOGA

March 1, 2015 By Admin

Mindful Movement as a Form of Meditation Practice

Using Mindful Movement as a Form of Meditation Practice with the Body

In Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction practices Hatha Yoga has been used as part of the recovery process from both psychological and physical suffering. In my own clinical use of mindful movement with children, youth and adults, I found that basic Qi Gong/Che Kung, MindfulHappiness_WalkingMeditation-002Walking Meditation, and Trauma-Informed Yoga proved to be very helpful in improving participants’ mood and personal motivation.  So why/how does repeated, formal sequences of body movement help people? Like general regular exercise, these mindful movement routines tend to lubricate the body (tendons, joints, etc.), improve strength (muscles), enhance resiliency (sticking with it for reinforcement), perhaps modify neurotransmitters, change breathing rate and depth, produce cognitive distraction from negative thoughts and emotions, lead to bodily stimulation and later relaxation, as well as MindfulHappiness_AnthonyQuintilianiimprove attention, mindfulness, and concentration.  There are many ways regular body movement can help us.  The Buddha’s own advice was to move the body to improve attitude and mood: sit, lay down, walk, and stand up the next time you experience unhelpful emotions to see what happens.  Today many examples of these movement meditation forms are available –  often free online, through Google, in social media, and via Apps.

One of the most interesting explanations about why yoga (body meditation) is so helpful to people has been presented by the 14th Dalai Lama ( Tenzin Gyatso along with Khonton walking-meditation_MindfulHappinessPeljor Lhundrub and Jose Ignacio Cabezon) in the book, Meditation on the Nature of Mind.  The Dalai Lama suggest that there are many ways to attain enlightenment: four ways of yoga, five paths, and ten stages of the bodhisattva.  Although he supports all means for attaining enlightenment, The Dalai Lama makes a special effort to support the “yoga of single-pointed concentration.”  Apparently this form of yoga is one of the most personally “experiential” in its application.  In the yoga of single-pointed concentration the self arises in the body (asana); there is Meditation on the Nature_0complete awareness in the present moment of the body (holding its suffering or joy) but without distraction and cognitive elaborations (thinking).  With the help of a trusted yoga teacher’s guidance, voice and sometimes corrective touch, there arises a strong calm abiding with self-compassion for what the object of meditative yoga is: the body as the personal home of  emotional suffering.  With this state of being comes equipoise and the “clear light” of experiencing your bodily experience, in the now. There is a self-arising realization in the present moment of the” you” experiencing the body as it passes through life’s joy, suffering and neutrality.

For more information refer to The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), Khonton Peljor Lhundrup, and Jose Ignacio Cabezon (2011). Meditation on the Nature of Mind. Boston: Wisdom Publications, pp. 120-126.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness

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Filed Under: Body Meditation, Featured, Meditation, Meditation Activities, Mindful Movement, MIndfulness, Walking Meditation Tagged With: BODY MEDITATION, DR ANTHONY QUINTILIANI, MEDITATION PRACTICES, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, MINDFUL MOVEMENT, WALKING MEDITATION

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