Michael L.
Let’s start by understanding what a “hack” is. Nothing in life is free; every outcome requires effort. However, there are more efficient ways to achieve results. For the purpose of this article, I define a “hack” as the fastest way to gain wisdom, intelligence, and awareness.
Meditation
My top recommendation for a life hack is meditation.
Meditation is the foundation for becoming wiser, smarter, and more aware. While any skill or talent requires hard work, having a consistent meditation practice puts you in the best mindset to grow and learn from everything that happens in your life.
The Mind, Intrinsic Wisdom, and Why We Struggle
Everything we experience is filtered through our mind. You could say our mind is both the window through which we see the world and the vehicle with which we navigate it. So, keeping our mind in the best possible condition is crucial.
Wisdom, reason, and intelligence are intrinsic to every human being. They exist within all of us, and life is our chance to discover and develop them. Naturally, we seek the most efficient way to do this.
We struggle because our intrinsic wisdom is often buried under thousands of thoughts and emotions—pain, stress, worry, greed, jealousy, anger, bitterness, and so on.
Meditation works by removing these cluttering thoughts and emotions from our mind. As a result, our natural wisdom emerges.
Discovering Wisdom, Intelligence, and Awareness
Through meditation, we become more aware of ourselves. Over time, the line between meditation and daily life disappears, and we see that every moment is an opportunity to reflect on ourselves. For example, if I get angry in a situation, it’s because I have anger in my mind. If I become lazy, it’s because laziness is in my mind.
Using meditation techniques, we can “release” or “discard” these negative mental states. The more we let go of them, the more we notice progress in our behavior—like reacting differently when something happens next time, with less emotional baggage. This is how we become wiser.
You could say meditation is a process of revealing the “original mind.” This original mind is free of distracting thoughts and negative emotions, allowing us to respond wisely and naturally to any situation.
The Journey Is Not Always Easy, But It Is Incredibly Rewarding
During meditation, we may discover that our mind is not always pleasant. It may be full of self-centered thoughts, hatred, jealousy, anger, entitlement, and greed. Naturally, the cleansing process can be slow and sometimes painful.
But despite the challenges, the process is endlessly rewarding. It leads to lasting wisdom and happiness, something everyone should seek. Without progress, we remain in the same state of awareness, repeating the same mistakes and suffering over and over again.
A Life of Wisdom, Intelligence, and Awareness
The more we meditate, the easier it becomes. As we clear our mind of the thoughts and emotions triggered by life’s conditions, it becomes more aligned with reality. We realize that wisdom means not being stuck in a single thought or emotion but instead residing in our original mind. This allows life to flow naturally, without blockages or hang-ups. When our mind is in this state, we can focus on what we do, and results will come naturally.
Living in tune with nature’s flow is the wisest, smartest, and most aware way to live. In this sense, meditation gives us everything we are looking for—wisdom, intelligence, and awareness. It can be called a “hack” because it is the fastest way to achieve this, but be prepared to put in the effort.
Thank you for reading this post. Please check out the video below, which describes a productivity hack achievable through meditation.
