Mindfulness is active, open
attention to the present. It’s the state of observing your thoughts and
feelings from a distance without labeling them as good or bad. Living mindfully
means to be in the moment and awake to each experience. Practicing mindfulness
brings calm where there was chaos, peace where there was turmoil. Here are some
suggestions that will help you live with more intention and less judgment.
Your only true reality is
this moment, right now. If you’re not in the here and now, you’re either
judging the past or anticipating the future—the first can’t be changed and the
second is completely unpredictable. Focusing on This Moment—the people you’re
with, the situation you’re in—is what is most important for your well-being.
There is a wilderness that
can only be walked alone. Even when you are surrounded by people, no one can
walk in your footsteps but you. Allow yourself the opportunity to get to know
who you really are, what you really think and believe, how you really feel
about your experiences.
Everything is created twice;
once in the mind and then again in your life. Keep good moral standards at the
forefront of your mind. If you do, then nothing you say or do will harm
another.
Negative thoughts are
harmless…unless you believe them. Don’t attach yourself to negativity in any
form: thoughts, actions, or emotions. If bad thoughts invade your mind, simply
let them go. There’s no need to reprimand yourself for the thoughts. Just let
them go.
You will not be punished for
your anger. You’ll be punished BY your anger. Annoyance, enmity, jealousy,
resentment, they’re all normal human feelings. Dwelling on these gloomy
emotions, however, will result in a pessimistic outlook. Life is too short to
be anything except the best, most positive you.
Inner peace is knowing and
loving yourself. The validation of others isn’t necessary for you to live a
good and happy life.
To strongly believe in
something and not live it is dishonest. Follow your intense passions mindfully.
Live your beliefs and you’ll never be fooled by the words or desires of others.
The right path and the easy
path are rarely one and the same. Every struggling step you succeed in taking
toward your goal makes the reaching of the goal all the more satisfying.
If you truly desire the
benefits, you must accept the costs. Every want (dream/goal) comes with some
sort of sacrifice. You must welcome the suffering in order to achieve the
dream.
The burden of too much
responsibility inhibits a peaceful, mindful life. Every moment doesn’t have to
be filled with something to do. Give yourself space to breathe, to appreciate,
to be.
Embrace spontaneity. Work is
necessary, yes, but some of life’s best experiences arrive at unplanned
moments. Be flexible and open.
Make rejuvenation part of
your daily schedule. If all we do is pour out of our buckets and never refill
them, we’d all walk around carrying empty buckets. Take time to refill
yourself—seek quiet solitude and focus your attention inwardly on a regular
basis.
How has mindfulness, or the
lack of it, affected your life? In what area of your life could you benefit
from being more mindful? Do you have a suggestion for how others can live a
more mindful life?
~ ~ ~
A note from the author: In a world filled with mass shootings, starving refugees, and myriad other tragedies, how do we keep our sanity? My book,
PRAYER OF QUIET, describes a simple yet powerful spiritual practice I have used to help me escape the chaos of the world. I wrote the book so others
might also benefit from this calming daily devotion.
