Hugh Jackman and Ray Dalio share one powerful habit. Find out how Transcendental Meditation links them and what they say about it.
Here is the text with “Culture & Trends” added in two places. Every original word is unchanged, and the added words are in bold so you can spot them.

Just a few years ago I realized I was doing something a little shifty. In my kitchen, at 6 a.m. a fork in one hand, my phone in the other, I’d turn on screen after screen, interview after interview of people I didn’t even know, the kind of Culture & Trends stories that fill every feed, trying to decipher what it was they were doing to be so un-shamelessly relaxed all of the time. One was Hugh Jackman, a.k.a. Wolverine. One was Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of the world’s largest hedge fund. Different worlds, right? Not exactly. And the more I explored the lives of both, the more a single thing kept cropping up in their storiessomething had nothing to do with a workout or stock tip.

It was meditation. Any sort of meditation. Meditation alone, whatever it is. Transcendental Meditation, TM for short.

Or if in the process you searched for “Hugh Jackman and Ray Dalio” on Google and wondered what in the world these two could have in common, then here’s the quick answer: they’re both the most-often used endorsement of TM, and were both most-often used as celebrity testimonial-ers to Bob Roth’s book Strength in Stillness. It’s a story straight out of Culture & Trends. Now for the longer answer.

I kept your original typos and wording exactly as they were, such as “storiessomething” and “un-shamelessly.” If you want just one mention, keep the first one, since it sits early in the post.

The Answer in Brief: Hugh Jackman And Ray Dalio Connection.

Here is the connection in plain english. Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor who was in X-Men movies, The Greatest Showman, and now on Broadway. Ray Dalio is the founder of Bridgewater Associates, and wrote the book Principles. Ray has taken the connection even further, and has spoken about TM being the most important contributor to his success.

They are not business partners. They didn’t write a book together, and didn’t start a business together. All they share is a habitand a mutually recommended book that outlines the habit for the average Joe. That’s all, and quite honestly, that’s all that you need to garner interest in the pairing.

To find out who Hugh Jackman Is & To Understand How Meditation Has Allowed Him To Reclaim His Focus.

If you’ve ever seen Jackman performing on stage, you know the guy has mind-boggling levels of energy. Eight shows a week on Broadway, a decadeslong career in Hollywood films, and he’s one of the nicest guys in the entertainment industry. I just assumed that was from coffee and willpower. Turns out, there’s a lot more to it.

He’s spoken at length about his meditation practice in long-form interviews including an extensive 2020 conversation on The Tim Ferriss Show, which included some of that conversation about how he manages the day including training the mind, decision making. The show notes are here at tim. Blog. For more context, his blurb about the book is at the book publisher’s page, and he says that Roth “helped a family member, including my son, a once stressed and anxious kid, ” at Simon & Schuster.

That one stuck with me. It’s one thing to tell us that a practice is effective. It’s quite another for you to tell us that it was effective for your kid. We would try just about anything for that.

About Ray Dalio and how TM helped him.

Another reset and another billionaires’ round table. Ray Dalio grew up a middle class kid in Long Island, went to C.W. Post College for his undergrad degree, Harvard for his MBA and was on his way to creating the largest hedge fund in the world in 1975 when Bridgewater Associates was born. And it went on to write a book Principles on the principles he lives and works by.

And here’s the part that took me by surprise. Dalio has said that TM is “the single most important reason” for any success that he’s had. Read that again. Not his intellect, not his renowned radical transparency, not the market intuition that he champions. A subtle mental exercise. As his public biography states, he started practicing TM when he was young and still does.

It’s like the bottom of a skyscraper, I see it as. They all take images of concrete underground and yet they all found everything on top of it. For Dalio meditation seems to be what is beneath and underground.

What Is Transcendental Meditation, Anyway

I had pictured meditation as a cross-legged stance on a mountain top, clearing my mind and failing. TM is a little different. TM is taught as a fairly simple practice done for approximately 20 minutes twice a day, seated comfortably with your eyes closed. You don’t resist your thoughts, just silently repeat a word (a mantra provided by your TM teacher), and allow your mind to settle.

Think of it as a snow globe. You aren’t trying to stop the snow from falling out of the sky by yelling at it. You just set the globe down, and the snow falls without you. That’s the feeling people are reaching for when they try to describe it.

Some quick facts:

TM is taught by trainers and is normally charged for.

It is not mindfulness, which promotes monitoring your own mind.

Many say it reduces stress, helps with concentration and sleeping, although there is little consensus in the research, so take it more as a wellbeing tool than a treatment.

Strength in Stillness: The Book That Binds Them.

The book by which those two names are connected is Strength in Stillness by Bob Roth, a veteran TM teacher who is with the David Lynch Foundation. Roth’s instructions are so straightforward a really tired parent or busy CEO can keep up.

The back cover is a guest list of the most complacent crowd in the party. Roth assisted Jackman’s wife, Calista Flockhart, and also helped Jackman himself to be successful, Roth of Dalio last stated, adding in the most important factor in his success is the TM. And the book writers are also there,. Michael J. Fox. The scope is a little easier to determine, from actor to.

What We Can take Away from Their Mutual Practice.

This marks the start of my personal experience. For many years, I considered rest a reward to be earned only after finishing all other tasks. Emails first, relaxation afterward. That method never succeeded, because the “afterward” never came. When I began dedicating twenty quiet minutes daily, I initially felt somewhat silly, almost guilty. Yet, after a couple of weeks, small improvements appeared. I became less annoyed by traffic. My sleep got a bit better. I stopped replaying awkward conversations late at night.

I’m not suggesting meditation will enable you to become the star of your own show or even a billionaire. That would be silly. But, there is a common denominator in both the men’s stories, and I think it’s worth paying attention to:

Be consistent rather than intense. One heroically long practice session does not compare to a brief daily session.

Tranquility aids achievement both men are busy and view tranquility time as a treatment.

For all. An architect and a performer employ identical technique.

Start small. You don’t have to start with a retreat. All you need is a chair and a little peace and quiet.

Final Thoughts

So next time you find Hugh Jackman and Ray Dalio in the same paragraph, you’ll know the reason. They are not colleagues or co-founders. They are two guys from two very different worlds who just happened upon the same quiet nook of the day, and just kept coming back to it.

If their stories inspire you to try meditation, I’d suggest a few minutes of a simple form like Transcendental Meditation, seek out a certified instructor or try a different form and practice for at least a few weeks. And oh if you want to know the full story, buy, and read Strength in Stillness and become a fan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Hugh Jackman and Ray Dalio have in common?

Both have sung the praises of Transcendental Meditation, and both are huge fans of Bob Roth’s book Strength in Stillness.

Did Hugh Jackman and Ray Dalio work together?

Ray Dalio and Hugh Jackman haven’t worked together. Jackman and Ray Dalio share a strange fascination with TM.

What Ray Dalio said about meditation?

In his words, TM was “the single most important reason for anything I have accomplished in life”.

What is Strength in Stillness

Strength in Stillness by Bob Roth illustrates the simplicity of Transcendental Meditation.

How many times a day should I meditate with TM?

The Transcendental Meditation technique involves meditating for about 20 minutes twice a day.

Additional Resources:

• Billionaire Ray Dalio Credits His Success to 40 Minutes of Meditation Per Day (CNBC): Covers Dalio’s daily TM routine and his start with it in 1969.
• Billionaire Investor Ray Dalio Credits All His Success to Meditation (Fortune): Dalio explains why he ties his success to meditation.