Excited to go to work
Entrepreneur Will Ahmed on living a well-rounded life:
“Success is being excited to go to work and being excited to come home.”
Rogers'-inspired weekly meditation practice
Version 2:
The added practice: Focusing (Eugene Gendlin)
What it is: A guided way to attend to your body’s felt sense of a situation and let words/images slowly form that match it.
Why it fits: Gendlin developed Focusing out of his collaboration with Carl Rogers; it’s basically “organismic listening” made practical—naming what’s truly there without judgment, moving toward congruence. The International Focusing Institute+1
Tiny how-to (5–15 min):
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Pause and sense your whole body.
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Invite the “feel of it all” about some issue to show up (not the thoughts, the feel).
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Find a handle (a word/phrase/image) that resonates with the felt sense.
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Go back-and-forth, adjusting the handle until it “clicks.”
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Ask, “What makes it feel this way?” Wait gently; note any shift/relief. The International Focusing Institute
Weekly Rogers-aligned practice plan (7 days)
Day 1 – Body Scan (clarity of inner signals, non-judgment)
10–20 min. Slowly move attention feet→head, noting sensations as “pressure, warmth, tingling, numb.” This trains noticing-before-interpreting. (Classic MBSR component.) ggia.berkeley.edu
Day 2 – Noting Practice (openness to experience)
10–15 min. Sit and label experiences softly: “thinking… hearing… tightness… sadness… planning,” then return to breath. This is “simply noting what is,” not evaluating. (Mahasi-style vipassanā.) middlewaysociety.org
Day 3 – RAIN (congruence with emotions)
8–15 min when something strong arises. Recognize → Allow → Investigate (mainly in the body) → Nurture with kindness. Builds honest naming + self-compassion. Tara BrachMindful
Day 4 – Loving-Kindness / Metta (empathy, non-judgment in relationships)
10–15 min. Repeat phrases for self → loved one → neutral person → difficult person → all beings (e.g., “May I/you be safe, healthy, at ease”). Softens the judging reflex; deepens care. mettainstitute.orgLion’s Roar
Day 5 – Open Awareness (trust in process, “good life as direction”)
10–20 min. Instead of a single anchor, let awareness rest with whatever arises—sounds, sensations, thoughts—without preference. Practice letting experience unfold. PMC+1
Day 6 – Mindful Dialogue (Rogers’ reflective listening)
10–20 min with a partner (kid, student, spouse, colleague). One speaks for 3–5 min; the other only reflects back the essence to the speaker’s satisfaction, then switch. Builds empathy and safety. Wholebeing Institute
Day 7 – Focusing (felt-sense congruence, organismic trust)
10–20 min using the steps above. Let a “right” word/image emerge that matches the body’s sense; note any easing/shift. This is Rogers in action. The International Focusing Institute+1
Version 1:
Here are a few mindfulness / meditation practices that most directly support Rogers’ vision of the “good life”:
1. Body Scan Meditation (Clarity of Inner Signals)
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What it is: Slowly moving attention through the body, noticing sensations without judgment.
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Why it supports Rogers: Rogers emphasized trusting one’s organismic responses. The body scan strengthens the ability to hear subtle signals—tightness in the chest, warmth in the belly—that reveal “true feelings” before the mind labels or suppresses them.
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Practice: 10–20 minutes of lying down, scanning from toes to head, noting sensations: pressure, tingling, warmth, numbness, etc.
2. Noting Practice (Openness to Experience)
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What it is: While sitting in meditation, label whatever arises: “thinking,” “sadness,” “hearing,” “planning,” “tightness.”
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Why it supports Rogers: This is the opposite of judgment—it’s “simply noting what is the case.” It builds the capacity to let experiences arise and pass without clinging or repression.
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Practice: Sit, breathe, and whenever something arises, softly label it, then return to the breath.
3. R.A.I.N. (Recognize–Allow–Investigate–Nurture)
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What it is: A mindfulness practice for working with strong emotions.
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Why it supports Rogers: It mirrors Rogers’ idea that “becoming himself” often starts with naming feelings as they are. R.A.I.N. creates space for congruence and self-compassion instead of defensiveness.
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Practice:
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Recognize: “This is anger.”
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Allow: “It’s okay that this is here.”
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Investigate: “Where do I feel it in my body?”
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Nurture: “May I be kind to myself in this moment.”
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4. Loving-Kindness Meditation (Empathy & Non-Judgment)
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What it is: Repeating phrases of goodwill toward self, loved ones, strangers, and even difficult people.
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Why it supports Rogers: It strengthens the muscles of empathy and reduces the “barrier to communication” of judgment. It helps you see others as subjects, not objects.
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Practice: Sit and repeat: “May I be safe. May I be healthy. May I live with ease.” Then extend to others.
5. Open Awareness / Choiceless Awareness (Trust in Process)
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What it is: Instead of focusing on breath or mantra, allow awareness to rest on whatever arises—sounds, sensations, thoughts—without preference.
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Why it supports Rogers: It’s training in trusting the unfolding process, not controlling it. It’s the meditation version of Rogers’ “the good life is a direction, not a state.”
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Practice: Sit quietly, eyes open or closed, and allow awareness to flow to whatever arises.
6. Mindful Dialogue / Deep Listening
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What it is: A partner exercise where one person speaks and the other listens without judgment, then reflects back the essence of what was said.
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Why it supports Rogers: This is Rogers—“restating to the speaker’s satisfaction” and understanding with them. It directly builds empathy and presence.
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Practice: With a partner (child, student, spouse), set a timer: one speaks for 3 minutes, the other listens and reflects back. Switch.
Linking Rogers & Buddhism
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Openness to experience → Body Scan / Noting
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Congruence → R.A.I.N. (naming feelings honestly)
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Empathy, non-judgment → Loving-kindness / Deep listening
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Trust in process → Open awareness practice
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The good life as direction → All of the above, since they keep us moving toward presence, rather than arriving at a fixed “calm”
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