Five Mindful Tips From Paul Walker

Paul Walker Practiced Mindfulness

The name Paul Walker usually conjures up all sorts of mental imagery. For most folks, these memories relate to the tactile and concrete – such as his physical presence, select movie scenes and choice photos that chronicled a good part of his life.

But is it possible to remember something more about the actor and in some way go beyond his blue eyes and blond hair? Can we extrapolate anything from his spoken see the missing, mindful parts of his life?

I have written about actor Paul Walker in the past and so before getting too far into this post, I’m going to share here that his death is still being felt by many, including me. One thing I have learned is that fans of this Fast and Furious star are a tight bunch. The reasons are plentiful but the real magnet for drawing people to Paul was his essence – meaning the metal of the man. That “essence” is what served as inspiration for this post.  

What follows are five mindful tips from Paul Walker. I created these from a variety of quotes given by the star, which I hope will serve as conduits for greater insight. Bear in mind Paul’s words have been contextualized using psycho-spiritual truths, which some refer to as Karma. If you are unfamiliar with this term, be sure to make a quick visit to the psychology definition page.

Are you ready? Let’s jump right in!

1. The ocean is restorative and healing

Paul Walker was a lover of the ocean. Metaphorically speaking, it was kind of in his DNA. The number of quotes connected to his affinity of the sea are too numerous to mention here. I will use this one in particular for illustrative purposes. “Surfing soothes me, it’s always been a kind of Zen experience for me. The ocean is so magnificent, peaceful, and awesome. The rest of the world disappears for me when I’m on a wave”.

The bond that Paul had with the sea does not occur through mere happenstance. It requires that a person be in tuned with nature on the conscious and subconscious level. Jared Leto is an example of another celebrity who also has a connection with the outdoors. In truth, all of us have a lot to learn from our planet on the mindfulness front as a natural way to reduce anxiety and stress.

 

2. Karma is a very real thing

One of my favorite quotes from Paul Walker is this one: “When you put good will out there it’s amazing what can be accomplished.” The reason this particular quote is so special is simply because it speaks to the larger issue of Karma. You may be wondering what that term actually means?

Karma can be defined as an invisible force that many people think has the power to balance the universe. The two primary forces are good and evil. When we do good deeds, Karma reflects back that positive energy to you at some point in time (we never know when). The same holds true for unkind acts. When we are negative towards others – it eventually boomerangs back towards our direction. Paul knew this on a very baser level; something all who followed him can see in how he lived his life.

3. Love is extremely powerful

One of the most critical elements of mindfulness based living is the concept of love. I am not talking just about romantic love but rather, love on the universal plain. This means love of those who are close to us and love of ourselves (devoid of narcissism). Here is what Paul had to say on this topic in an interview back in 2001, given to Flaunt Magazine: “You know, all that really matters is that the people you love are happy and healthy. Everything else is just sprinkles on the sundae.”

He was right about this point. Love is the most powerful source of energy in the universe. Paul knew the power of love and its capabilities. He also is credited with saying this: “Life’s too short. And the biggest curse is falling in love with somebody”. This insight suggests a deeper understanding of Karmic love that is imparted through experience. Other stars, such as Chris Evans, know this mindfulness based point as well.

4. Live in the moment

Anyone who followed Paul Walker knew that he, like most folks, he had his pros and cons. One particular characteristic about him was that he had the unique ability to live in the here and now. This is very basic tenant of mindfulness yet one that many find difficult to practice. For whatever reason, Paul this “chip” which enabled this capability.  

Here is a fun quote that speaks more directly to my point: “I’m a dreamer. I’ve got this whole thing where I think I’m supposed to be a musician. I live by the seat of my pants, but I’d like to think that I’m also pretty sensible.” Paul, perhaps just like you, often struggled with what he was “supposed” to be doing. In psychology, these “should” are classified as distortions. Somehow, Paul was however able to live in the present and trust in the universe for the path that had been laid for him.

 

5. You are more than the sum of your parts

Upon careful reflection of Paul Walker’s life, one thing that is fairly obvious is that the man was not typical of many Hollywood celebrities. In other words, he wasn’t one to search out the spotlight in a desperate attempt to grab headlines. Here is a quote that I think you will find informative: I’m into being a dad, that’s where my focus is most of the time. I’m an actor that’s my job, but it’s not my life. I have a lot of other interests too.”

The mindfulness lesson here is fairly straight forward. You are so much more than your job; whatever it might be. In order to be a whole person, all of us (meaning you and me) need to have varied interests. Mindfulness works much like a tree with branches that spread into many different directions. This allows for growth and ultimately, personal transformation.

Final Thoughts

My sense is that if you are reading this post there is a better than good chance you were a fan of Paul Walker. My hope is that all of us will remember him not just for his movies but for the very human person that he was.

They say a person’s core belief system is witnessed not just by what they say – but how they live their life. How mindfully are you living yours?

If you want to learn more about mindfulness, please feel free to look around this site. Thanks for stopping by! If you found this post helpful, please Like on Facebook. Circle on Google+ and share with others.