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]

My perspective determines whether my experience perpetuates suffering or is a vehicle for awakening.

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Mindfulness helps me by highlighting my ego when it arises and reminding me to add a little kindness to the mix." - Laurie Fisher Huck

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Anytime you feel upset or irritated, think back to see what root cause is being triggered: AM I safe? Am I loved? Am I enough?"

~ Polly Bateman

[PartTimeBrewer]

It's all about fear

[PartTimeBrewer]

."It is not what our mind falsely believes that makes us happy. It is the moment-to-moment lived reality of being alive."

 - Matthias Esho Birk

[PartTimeBrewer]

"Your true home is in the here and now."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

[PartTimeBrewer]

"I consider this an essential practice: When moments are good, full, or happy, mark them with your awareness."
~ Manuela Mischke Reeds

[PartTimeBrewer]

How else can you build a life-affirming body of gratitude?

[PartTimeBrewer]

“You don’t suffer because you have thoughts. You suffer because you judge them, resist them, believe them, wallow in them, or identify with them.” ~Unknown

[PartTimeBrewer]

“The Buddha says, ideally, you want to make your mind like a broken gong. People can hit it, but there’s no reverberation.” —Thanissaro Bhikkhu

[PartTimeBrewer]

"To live meaningfully is to live with a concern for others, and this, perhaps, is the most self-compassionate act of all."
~ Bodhipaksa

[PartTimeBrewer]

"But the essential irony of playing it stiff and straight today, is the fact that you are reducing your chances of being safe tomorrow. When the world moves, we've got to move with it or risk being left behind."
~ Poppy Jamie