Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Ray Dalio: meditation is the secret of my success

 

Hedge fund manager, Ray Dalio credits meditation as the key to his success. 

Says the Bridgewater Associates founder, "Meditation has given me centeredness and creativity. It's also given me peace and health...  and it's given me open-mindedness." 

"Meditation, more than anything in my life, was the biggest ingredient of whatever success I've had".

I was very interested to hear Dalio's take on the benefits of meditation, since he's obviously a very successful individual who assigns a great deal of value to this practice. It's also a subject I've been wanting to learn more about.

While I am not a yoga practitioner and have never tried transcendental meditation, I've come to learn that my long walks through the forests may share some benefits associated with mindfulness meditation. For me, it's about taking time to exercise, relax, and just focus on the natural (or built) world around us.

As Dalio notes, the key for beginners is to challenge themselves to stick with meditation for the first six months. Those who try it must realize that the 20 minutes spent meditating in mornings and evenings is an investment that pays off in numerous ways, enhancing one's enjoyment of life.

Ray Dalio was also the subject of our most recent post, "Lessons from Hedge Fund Market Wizards: Ray Dalio". If you'd like to know more about Dalio and his ideas on trading and learning from mistakes, check it out. 

Related articles and posts:

1. Lessons from Hedge Fund Market Wizards: Ray Dalio.

2. Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress (Mayo Clinic).