Just like his character in the series The Last Tycoon who against the odds rises to fame and fortune in the 1930’s Hollywood, Matt Bomer’s personal story also represents the American Dream.
Matt Bomer attending the David Lynch Foundation’s ‘Meditation In Education’ campaign in Los Angeles.Bomer was born and raised in rural America. He was the first in his family ever to be involved in show-business. Yet Bomer made his way to the top in hypercompetitive entertainment industry, snatching prestigious awards such as the Golden Globe on the way.
When Men’s Fitness recently interviewed Bomer they wanted to discover the secret behind his success. So, as expected, the topic of Transcendental Meditation, which Bomer has practiced for years, came up.
Bomer’s interest in meditation was sparked by The Autobiography of a Yogi.
At first, he was more of a skeptic.
“I’d always thought of meditation as this esoteric, full lotus-in-a-cave in the Himalayas experience, and I didn’t realize it’s a practical tool.”
But after giving it a try, Bomer’s point of view changed.
“It can enhance any spiritual practice you have, but it’s completely nondenominational. It can also just center you and focus you.”
“We’re living in exponential times, and there’s so much information and marketing coming at you on a daily basis, that for me, I just needed 20 minutes a day to really center myself and quiet myself so that I could listen.”
When probed if TM had helped Bomer in his career in any way, the actor replied: “It’s helped me in a lot of ways because I think it enables me to sort of get out of my own head, to get all the different voices going on kind of centered and focused.”
“I’m a sensitive person by virtue of what I do for a living. I have access to my emotions and I think meditation has allowed me to really step back and thicken my skin and be more compassionate of other people and also with myself that I don’t have to you know, stick my head in the oven every time something remotely disastrous happens.
I’ll also say, working with other creative people it helps to come from a centered place so you’re able to stay in touch with yourself and your own voice in the midst of everyone else in the room who has their own agenda and take on things,” Bomer explained how meditating can also help to deal with the challenges that arise in his line of work.
When it comes to fitting everything in his busy personal (he is a father of three children) and professional life, Bomer has resorted to setting healthy expectations for himself.
“By the way, I’m not a perfect meditator, I think these people who hold themselves to these impossible standards, like, ‘If I don’t do it 20 minutes twice a day I’ve failed,’ No. I know people who only do one session a day for 20 years, did that, and then they switched to two when it was right. These things will open themselves up to you.
I know with three kids, you know for me, my life until they’re out the door to school, camp, whatever it is, it’s not about me. I either have to wake up early and do it or get them out the door before I can do my practice.”
Bomer has learnt not to question his experience during the 20-minute meditation itself as well.
“In meditation, you’re not always going to have some great, transcendent experience when you meditate. There are some days when it’s really, when you think you’ve had the worst meditation ever, but I’ve found those days are actually the most important for me to meditate.”
Photo credit:
tomandlorenzo.com
