What does it mean to be centered or grounded? These are words that we hear a lot in the world of mindfulness, meditation, and personal growth, and they sound like desirable states. But what are they, and how do we get there?

To be centered is to have a center. At the edges of the wheel, you are constantly moving; at its center, you are still.

To be grounded is to have a ground, to have roots. It brings with it a sense of certainty, stability, presence. Peace.

Both of them point to a deeper virtue or strength: that of being unmovable.

• When you are unmovable you are strong. You feel powerful, unafraid, and in control. You are like the charioteer—a metaphor for the higher mind.
• When you are constantly moved by everything, you feel powerless. It can feel like your life is out of control, and you are a victim of circumstances. The result is often anxiety—and a life that doesn’t unfold the way you want it to.

The Virtues of Being Unmovable

Being unmovable gives you a different perspective in life. You are not immediately influenced by whatever happens, because you are living more inside out.

Being unmovable helps you accelerate your journey toward your goals—because you are not taken off course by any external influence. You are not confused by new shiny objects, nor are you dissuaded by the fluctuations of your emotions. Therefore, you don’t lose your momentum.

Being unmovable means you won’t quit—and if you won’t quit, your obstacles will. Just as a stream, fixed on its movement of striking a rock, eventually pierces it.

Being unmovable means that you are a creator, not a creature. You shape your life more than you are shaped by your environment. As I like to say, either your aspirations are bending your reality, or reality is bending your aspirations. And if you are unmovable, then you are not the one bending.

There is an axiom in the hermetic sciences: if you want to move the movable, you must be fixed. The meaning is that you can only influence events and take full control of your life—with all its movable parts—once you are grounded in something unmovable within yourself.

And, after working with self-discipline clients for several years now, I can say that the secret of a disciplined life is embarrassingly simple: create a fixed point in your day. One that doesn’t move, no matter what. Sleep time and the morning routine are the best candidates for this—once they are perfectly fixed, you find out that becoming disciplined with any other habit becomes much easier.

Become Unmovable

Being unmovable is a practice—a choice. You develop this superpower by choosing to remain still and steadfast, when everything around you is moving.

• You choose to stay focused on the task at hand, regardless of distractions.
• You choose to stay true to your values, regardless of temptations.
• You choose to take action on your goals, regardless of how you feel.
• You choose to reaffirm your beliefs, regardless of doubt.
• You choose to pursue your aspirations, regardless of obstacles.

Making these choices may never feel easy. They will always require some willpower, some sacrifice. But their reward is unfailing, and unmatched.

Find a place in you that is unmovable.

If you can’t easily find it, then create one. Make a commitment to something, and stay true to it no matter what. The practice of Never Zero is an exercise on becoming unmovable; in fact, the end result of all practices of self-discipline is making you unmovable. As I define in the book:

Self-discipline is the art of living life in harmony with your values.

In other words, self-discipline is staying true to your values no matter what. Holding on to them steadfastly, and letting them shape your whole life—what you think, what you choose, what you do.

Let your convictions be the unmovable pillar of your thought. Let your values be the unmovable pillar of your conduct. Let your aspirations be the unmovable pillar of your life.

In a world where everything is connected, and everything moving ever more rapidly, being unmovable is a true superpower.

Find your center, and don’t let the world move it. This is the secret of the higher mind.