Mindfulness

[PartTimeBrewer]

              I am starting a new thread here mainly for purposes of my own catharsis. It is my intention, at least at this point, to make regular contributions. Of course, if anyone else has anything to add, they are more than welcome. If you have any input, please contribute.

              Over a year ago I decided to deal head-on with my self-diagnosed adult attention disorder, (ADD). The inability to stay focused was becoming too stressful. I found myself sitting around watching the clock tick, yet I couldn’t keep “on task” with any project I started. Nothing was getting done and just starting something was becoming depressing.

              The smart thing to do was probably to get professional help, so instead I decided to try to heal myself, at least as a first try. Cognitive therapy and pharmaceuticals (UGH) might be the approved way to go but I decided to try meditation first.

              18 months and countless self-help books later, I still can’t bring myself to a regular, formal meditation program. But, along the way, I discovered informal mindfulness. Yes, I know it is the “Fad” right now. It is hard to navigate modern social trends without “tripping over” somebody extolling the benefits of mindfulness.

              Let me add my voice to the chorus.

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Without fear, there cannot be courage."  ~  Christopher Paolini

[PartTimeBrewer]

According to Newton's third law of motion, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Are you acting or reacting?"  ~  Danny Penman

[PartTimeBrewer]

Are you properly anticipating pushback?

[PartTimeBrewer]

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Instead of yearning for more moments on this planet, show up for more of the ones you've got."  ~  Everyday Mindfulness

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Q: How much ego do you need?

A: Just enough so that you don't step in front of a bus."  ~  Shunryu Suzuki

[PartTimeBrewer]

Mindfulness philosophy often reflects Buddhist thought with regard to the extinction of the "ego." But as suggested here, there are still some uses for the ego, as in avoidance of the extinction of the body. Avoiding the bus is just a metaphor for self-preservation. But how far can the metaphor be stretched before the ego becomes over extended again? If the bus represents crushing poverty in the ghetto, won't it require an intensive and extended application of ego to escape it? The Buddha suggested the "Middle Path."  Perhaps extinction is too extreme a word, unless you wear orange robes and live in a monetary.

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Our thoughts and ideas are nature, just as much as waves on the ocean or clouds in the sky."  ~  Alan Watts

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Thinking is not a problem. Doing it without awareness can be."  ~  Everyday Mindfulness

[PartTimeBrewer]

The alchemists of old failed in their attempts to transmute base metals into gold. This endeavor was misguided from the start. The real challenge is to transmute tragedy into enlightenment.  ~  inspired by the words of Eckhart Tolle

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Judging other people is inevitable. Judging is something that your mind automatically does, and for good reason. Recognizing that you are judging is what's important."  ~  Everyday Mindfulness

[PartTimeBrewer]

And it's harder to do than you might imagine. Pay attention to each thought. Ask yourself "Is that a judgement?" So often it seems not to be on the surface, but on closer inspection the judgment is not initially recognized because it is implicit. Then ask yourself "Is it justified?"