Last Updated on September 3, 2025

I spent at least twenty years dwelling on dwelling—without even realizing that I was doing it. A large part of my days went into trying to figure out the one thing that stopped me from being successful. In talking with a friend, I finally realized that there is no single cause.

You have to understand: there is no trigger or source behind all of your problems. In fact, the search for that “one cause” only wastes time—and becomes another form of dwelling. What matters is focusing on the present moment and moving forward from there.

Buddhists, for example, use mantras such as “Om Mani Padme Hum”—repeating them to quiet the mind and avoid getting lost in useless thoughts. I’ve decided to try this myself, and I’ll let you know how it goes. One thing is certain: dwelling gets you nowhere.