Zen 101: Mindfulness by @DonnaFaz

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?

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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.  

9 Ways to Let Go and Be Free ~ #Inspiration ~ @DonnaFaz

Letting go can be scary. But being free (of doubt, fear, guilt, negativity, etc) can’t be achieved without a willingness to let go of those things that keep you trapped. Freedom is a choice that can be life-changing. Here are some ways to achieve a better, lighter state of being.

1. Stop judging yourself – Release your expectations of who, how, where, and what you should be. Sometimes it’s in the letting go of judgments and ideals, even if only for a while, that allows you to move forward.

2. De-clutter – Clear off countertops and tabletops. File away those important papers where they belong. Sort through, give away, or simply get rid of any clothing you haven’t worn or those household items that you haven’t used in the past year. There’s probably someone out there who needs the very things you’re not using. Removing these unused items from your life will open your life to new things and give you more space to breathe.

3. Plan activities to look forward to – Whether it’s seeing a movie with friends, visiting an art exhibit, or a weekend away in a quaint B&B, give yourself something to feel excited about. Living in a state of anticipation is better than living with a woe-is-me or life-if-boring mentality.

4. Sit in silence – The key element in meditation is to focus on the here and now. Simply be present in this moment. When regrets from the past or fears about the future encroach on your thoughts, gently refocus your attention on the present. Start slow—five minutes is better than none—and gradually increase your meditation time until you reach the perfect duration for you.

5. Make someone’s day – When you find yourself feeling angry about the past or anxious and worried about the future, find a way to help someone else. Make lunch for a friend in need, offer a stranger a smile. Contributing to the well-being of others will make you feel more positive about yourself.

6. Spend time outside – It doesn’t matter where you go: the beach, a park, the mountains, a forest. Spending time outside will quiet your mind and lift your spirits.

7. Unplug from social media – We waste countless hours scrolling through timelines and post feeds. For what purpose? As long as you’re connecting with family and friends, a little bit is okay. But for the most part, social media sites put us on autopilot. Making a conscious effort to strictly limit yourself will leave you more time for real life experiences.

8. Starve your pain – Bad memories are fed by the remembering of them. You can choose not to feed your pain simply by being aware. When a bad memory floats into your thoughts, gently but firmly push it away by replacing it with another happier memory or thought. Let go of the bad thoughts; be free of the past. Not dwelling on the pain of the past is the best way to starve it.

9. Keep a gratitude journal – A gratitude journal doesn’t have to be elaborate. Every day (or night), write down 5 things for which you are grateful. There’s no pressure here. If 5 is too many, shoot for 3. Soon you’ll be looking for things in your day that you can enter into your journal. Living with an attitude of gratitude is much more positive than always complaining about or criticizing yourself, your life, or your situation.

Now it’s your turn. Do something. You can read dozens of articles on improving your life, but if you don’t implement the suggestions then nothing will ever change.

What suggestions would you add to this list? Leave a comment and help others let go and be free. 

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If you've visited my website before, you know that I write romance and women's fiction novels. But here's something you might not know: four of my novels are now sold exclusively in the Kindle Store and are available for members of Kindle Unlimited Program. So if you're a Kindle Unlimited member, I would love it if you borrowed a Donna Fasano novel. And tell all your romance-loving friends about my books. Thanks!

The Key to Happiness: Forgiveness #Quotes

“Forgiveness is this world's equivalent of Heaven's Justice.”
                                                           ~ A Course In Miracles

“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.”
                                                           ~ Catherine Ponder

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” 

                                                           ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Always forgive you enemies - nothing annoys them so much.”
                                                            ~ Oscar Wilde

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”

                                                            ~ Mark Twain