← 10% Happier with Dan Harris

Bellamy Young, TV's "Scandal" Star

May 26, 2017 39m 13s 20 insights
<p>ALERT: This episode contains "Scandal" spoilers! Bellamy Young, best known for playing Mellie Grant on ABC's hit show, "Scandal," said making meditation part of her daily routine has helped improve her sleep and process her character's heavy, emotional narratives. And she dishes on what was changed in the original "Scandal" season 6 plotline.</p>
Actionable Insights

1. Disengage from Unhelpful Thoughts

Learn to disengage from unhelpful thoughts, self-doubt, or obsessions by recognizing you are not your thoughts. Treat thoughts as something happening to you that you can choose to love and release, gaining objectivity and self-forgiveness.

2. Pre-Bedtime Dissolving Meditation

Practice a pre-bedtime meditation ritual by breathing in and out on ‘yes,’ ’love,’ and ’thank you.’ Then, focus on creating space between your atoms to dissolve into a thoughtless, suspended state.

3. Prioritize Daily Meditation

Make time for meditation daily, even when busy, by integrating it into your routine (e.g., before bed). Not doing so can destabilize the rest of your daily life.

4. Tailor Meditation Time to Self

Understand your personal rhythms (e.g., morning vs. night person) and experiment to find the specific time that works best for your meditation practice. Be willing to fail and restart to form abiding habits.

5. Experiment to Find Your Meditation

Experiment with various meditation techniques, such as focusing on breath or a candle, to intuit and discover what works best for your personal path. There is no right or wrong way, and exploration is key.

6. Cultivate Calm, Listen Within

Actively cultivate calmness and listen internally to access the answers and guidance you seek. The answers you need are already within you and will emerge when you are calm.

7. Embrace Choice, Be Gentle

Recognize that you are making choices in life and are not merely being run by circumstances. View perceived failures as lessons, embrace all experiences, and practice self-gentleness.

8. Root Deeply, Counter Rejection

In the face of rejection or perceived lack, cultivate a deeper internal root or connection to a sense of oneness and abundance. This helps prevent being lost by identifying with lack.

9. Accept Life’s Meant Path

Adopt a mindset that you receive the experiences and opportunities meant for you, believing there are no mistakes. This perspective helps avoid resentment and fosters acceptance.

10. Process Intense Emotions

Develop personal methods to process intense emotional experiences, especially when engaging in activities that simulate strong emotions. This is crucial for learning and moving forward without carrying emotional burdens.

11. Practice Honesty for Connection

Practice honesty in your interactions and life, avoiding lies even when self-esteem is low. Honesty fosters deeper connection with others and reinforces a sense of oneness, while lying creates separation.

12. Prioritize Relaxation for Flow

Prioritize relaxation of both mind and body before engaging in tasks requiring flow, presence, or interaction. Being ‘seized up’ prevents flow, while relaxation allows for openness and genuine reaction.

13. Live Fully in the Present

Focus on living fully in the present moment, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. Being present allows for deeper engagement with experiences and fosters a sense of oneness.

14. Offer Compassion to Past Self

Offer compassion and understanding to your past self, recognizing that wherever you were, you were ‘perfect’ in that moment. This practice helps heal past hurts and fosters self-acceptance.

15. Surrender Dreams for Service

Reflect on personal dreams and consider if there are opportunities to surrender them to a larger purpose or act of service. This shift can transform personal ambition into a meaningful contribution.

16. Cultivate Core Virtues

Actively cultivate and embody qualities such as courage, humility, and nobility in your actions and leadership. These virtues are essential for effective and impactful service.

17. Practice Paying It Forward

Identify opportunities to ‘pay it forward’ by supporting others, especially in areas where you have received help or benefit. This can be a deeply fulfilling and proud accomplishment.

18. Champion Values-Aligned Causes

Identify issues and causes that resonate with your personal values (e.g., animal rights, arts, education, LGBTQ+ rights, inclusion) and actively work to support them. This contributes to building a more inclusive and loving world.

19. Engage Community in Real-Time

Actively engage with your audience or community in real-time using modern communication tools (like social media live-tweeting) to foster connection and loyalty. This can transform passive consumption into active engagement.

20. Utilize Free Anxiety Meditations

Use Sebeni Selassie’s free guided meditations on the 10% Happier app, including ‘Working With Anxiety’ and ‘For An Anxious Moment.’ These resources can help manage anxiety.