In my previous post of 24th June, I wrote about ‘burn out’ and how Meditation is my all time favourite method for helping to cope with the challenges and pressures of daily life and flourish despite them.
Today, I’m discussing the other practice that helps me maintain my equilibrium and all round sanity.
MINDFULNESS.
How people get by in their lives with out the practices of Meditation and Mindfulness I’m at a loss to say, primarily because research and my own experience shows life is greatly enhanced with these ancient practices.
I think ‘get by’ is the key term. Flourish and thrive are states that sadly, many people don’t experience too often in their lifetimes. Yes, many achieve goals – in education, sport, finances, business and many other walks of life, but are people truly at peace within themselves?
Always striving for more can become stressful and create chaos – the emphasis being on the word ‘striving’. There’s absolutely nothing ‘wrong’ with having what we want but how do we go about getting it? Is it a happy, enjoyable and uplifting journey for ourselves and others around us, or perhaps it could be a journey filled with negative stress, desperation or obsession, bringing much unhappiness and even illness. Continually pushing to get more can create frustration and anger. Calmly creating our days brings more contentment, fulfilment and peace.
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”, said Henry David Thoreau. You can read whatever you like into Thoreau’s quote from Walden Pond, but I see it as simply not acquiring the awareness to recognise we can experience peace and joy in our lives, in each present moment.
It seems to me that so many more people than usual are using Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter etc to vent their anger, have people validate them and get into heated arguments with those who don’t.
Although I’m fully aware that people are scared, nervous and even anxious about world events, I still find it interesting that their brain doesn’t have a healthy functioning mechanism that says ‘stop – you’re being mean to yourself and others!’ These are often the very people expressing their desire for more compassion and kindness! Actually, of course our brains do have that function, but it’s easy to ignore it and react, unless we’re continually aware and making conscious choices.
Yes, some very strange and unsatisfactory occurrences are going on all over the world – in some countries worse than others. Yes, decisions are being made that aren’t necessarily conducive to the well-being of humans, animals and the earth, but will getting into arguments, being nasty and getting more fearful and angry change any of these issues? Absolutely not.
What does have the power to change the world is if every individual focuses on how to live from a state of loving kindness, compassion and careful consideration of how we effect others. We can all practice being calmer, kinder and more at peace every single day, no matter what. We won’t always get it right, but if we just make a little progress each day, imagine what could happen – for the better.
Practicing Mindfulness helps you to be more aware and not just operating on automatic pilot. It helps you to develop the awareness required to respond, rather than react. Mindfulness helps you to be alert as to how you’re functioning and spending your time and energy. Are you consciously making choices that create a kinder more peaceful life, or are you just going along with the masses who choose not to question or change, because that’s ‘the way it’s done’.
If you want a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life, before you speak it or write it, ask yourself ‘is it kind or is it mean? Am I acting in a helpful way or just trying to make someone else wrong – so I feel right?’
Practice choosing Kindness – towards yourself and others and Every Day Gets Better. 😊💛
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