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Emotions and Communication - Self Growth

Lotus of Stillness — Practice Staying Present: Let Your Soul Bloom Like the Lotus

Sharon Li

• 6 min read
Lotus of Stillness — Practice Staying Present: Let Your Soul Bloom Like the Lotus

“I rest like a lotus in full bloom—rooted in the now, untouched by past regret or future worry, radiating calm and clarity.”

When life moves fast and thoughts race, we often miss the quiet power of being present. The lotus symbolizes stillness, purity and awakening. This article guides you: why true strength comes from staying in the now; how to practice presence; and how to bloom amid the “mud” of busy life. At the end you’ll find a practice card to help you anchor in the present.

At dusk I walked by a lotus pond. A gentle breeze rippled the water; a lotus rose, rooted in the mud, yet clean and upright, petals open. In that moment I realized: even when everything around you storms, if you’re present, you can still stand clear. Today, we begin with the “Lotus of Stillness” – returning to this moment, making your inner calm your foundation.

(a) The Lotus Symbol: From Mud to Bloom In Buddhist and Eastern traditions the lotus flower grows in murky water yet rises above it in fullness and light. When we use the lotus as metaphor for presence, we remind ourselves: even if life is messy underneath, the place we stand—the present moment—can still be pure and open.

(b) Why Do We Struggle with Presence?

  • Mind racing ahead or replaying behind.
  • Past or future dominating instead of the now.
  • Thinking: “If nothing’s big right now, I’ll wait” — but the present is exactly where life happens. When you’re not in the now, you exhaust energy, you lose clarity—and miss the stillness that carries power.

(c) Three‑Step Practice: Breathe → Observe → Stay

  1. Breath reminder: steal 1‑2 minutes to breathe deeply, bring awareness to body. Imagine roots like the lotus in the mud.
  2. Observe the now: what are you seeing, hearing, feeling this moment? Ask: “Where am I? What am I doing? How is my mind?”
  3. Stay and act: once you’re aware, choose to remain—no hurry, no judgement—then resume with this calm behind you.

(d) Four‑Week Practice Plan

Week

Theme

Practice

Week 1

Root to breath

Daily: deep breath, imagine lotus roots

Week 2

Sense the now

Each day note 3 things you see/hear/feel

Week 3

Pause one minute

Choose one minute a day just be – no phone, no thoughts

Week 4

Review & open

Reflect: Where did I stay? Where did I drift? What’s next?

When life bombards you with tasks, noise or chaos, the “Lotus of Stillness” invites you to return to “I am here”. You don’t need everything perfect—just your presence.

Self-connection Mini Practice

  1. How long has it been since I truly paused and just was?
  2. If I stopped for one minute right now, what would my body/mind tell me?
  3. This coming week, where will I give myself one minute of presence? What will I do?

Stillness isn’t absence of motion—it’s the heart of freedom. If you’d like more gentle language, deeper reflection and mindfulness‑inspired metaphor accompanying your journey: 👉 Tap here for more on presence & being When you master staying in the now, you’re no longer waiting—you’re living.

★  Thank you for being a part of 5 Mins Bliss and for your continued support. And You can also read a web version of this newsletter on 5minsbliss.com. If you enjoy this newsletter, please consider sharing it with others via: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, WhatsApp, or email. . Together, let’s spread this journey of growth and inner peace to more hearts in need. ★

Sacred Beasts Collection

Quick note for 5 Mins Bliss readers. My day job is actually 15 years as a Japan tour guide. I distilled that field experience into a new e-book, “From Burnout to Bliss: The AI Travel Fix,” with copy-and-paste prompts and simple workflows to fix 20 common trip-planning pains. If you’re planning a trip now—or want a faster way to handle travel hassles—this book is for you.
👉 Product page: (This promotional price is offered exclusively to readers of 5 mins Bliss.)

From Burnout to Bliss: The AI Travel Fix
# 15 Years Guiding × AI Prompts to Conquer 20 Trip-Planning Disasters #- Crush 20 common trip-planning pains with copy-and-paste AI prompts. Built from 15 years of pro guiding + a practical AI workflow to turn chaos into a ready-to-go itinerary—fast.Planning a trip shouldn’t mean 23 spreadsheet versions and 100 open tabs. From Burnout to Bliss: The AI Travel Fix turns AI (e.g., ChatGPT) into your fast, reliable planning partner. You’ll get problem-specific prompt recipes that fix the exact mess you’re in—confusing routes, bad timing, rainy days, hidden fees, vague budgets, after-dark dead zones, and more.What you’ll be able to do Generate a first-draft itinerary in minutes, with clear constraints (pace, budget, distance caps). Verify reality: prompts add opening hours, closed days, booking method, and proof links. Design sensible routes: cluster by area, cap travel time, build AM/PM/Evening flows. Add instant backups: rainy-day or overbooked alternatives for every half-day block. Control costs without spreadsheet hell: turn prices and transport into simple decisions. What’s inside (built around 20 disasters) Getting Started Hell: analysis paralysis, spreadsheet monster, Google Maps illusion, time tug-of-war, bad timing. Reality Check: culture-shock routes, binge itineraries, sunny-only plans, after-dark black hole, the “sorry, we don’t have that” dilemma. Creativity Killers: rigid plans, Instagram traps, copy-paste boredom, friendship blowups, memory blackout. Budget Black Hole: vague budgets, hidden fees, exchange-rate gotchas, extreme frugality misery, price-comparison loops. Each chapter gives you: Plain-English diagnosis → 2) Prompt recipe → 3) Iteration prompts → 4) Reality-check checklist (“last verified on” included).Sample Prompt (copy, edit, run)Plan a {days}-day trip to {city} for {party_type}, pace {pace}, budget {budget}. Cap inter-district travel ≤ 90 minutes/day. Return a table (D1–D{days}; AM/PM/Evening) with opening hours, closed days, booking method, and verification links (official site/Google Maps). End with a list of missing info you need from me.Who it’s for Travelers who want speed + reliability, not endless tabs. Creators/planners who use AI but need better prompts and a real-world workflow. Anyone tired of plans that fall apart in the rain or at the “closed on Tuesdays” door. Why trust itWritten by a tour guide with 15 years on the Japan line. Field-tested logic distilled into AI-ready prompts and checklists—so you plan like a pro, even on your first try.Format & What’s included Digital e-book (English), organized by 20 problems. Prompt recipes + iteration prompts + verification checklists. Works with ChatGPT or similar LLMs. Designed for quick scanning and copy-paste use. How you’ll use it (3 steps) Pick the chapter that matches your problem and paste the prompt. Apply the iteration prompts to fix timing, routes, bookings. Run the reality-check items and mark “last verified on”—then go. FAQDo I need AI experience?No. Prompts are pre-written—customize the { } fields.Is it Japan-only?Examples often reference Japan, but the prompt logic is destination-agnostic.What about outdated info?Every prompt includes verification lines (official link, recent reviews, last-verified date).This is a digital download. You will not be mailed any physical products, and we do not offer printed / bound curriculum at this time. Your downloads will come from Gumroad, so please check your junk mail if you do not see them in your inbox. We highly recommend Hard Copy HQ for your printing needs: https://www.hardcopyhq.com/.
Gumroad

And if you'd like to keep these mythical blessings and affirmations close, feel free to click the Gumroad link (https://bird99711.gumroad.com) or scan the QR code below to bring home your personal guardian.

一張含有 螢幕擷取畫面, Rectangle, 樣式, 文字 的圖片 AI 產生的內容可能不正確。

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