The mind, the brain and our thoughts can be wonderful and glorious gifts we can give ourselves, if we use them right. But as we all know, our minds often lead us into destructive patterns of thought, extreme negative inner self-talk and self deprecation that can lead us into feeling pretty awful, if not downright isolated and depressed.
Being mindful means that rather than simply going through the motions and reliving pain, you will become more aware of your feelings and thoughts, and therefore improve them. By becoming more aware of your feelings, you are more likely to think of actions and solutions as they relate to negative and toxic thoughts.
How to practice Mindfulness
Begin by becoming more aware of your feelings when you feel them, whether they are joy, pain, elation, ambivalence, fear or anger. Allowing yourself to feel your raw feelings when you feel them is truly the first start in being able to manage your emotions and find your way to peace.
Some of my spiritual epiphanies through mindfulness include:
My past suffering does not have to hurt me any longer.
I feel the joys in my life much more strongly than any pain.
I only have today and I can make it anything and any way that I want it to be.
I truly love my children, and when they experience pain or joy, I feel it too.
The pain I feel from childhood has made me the empathetic person I am today.
The goal is to cultivate positive energy toward the good feelings that we have as well as the bad. But we can only discover what those are if we are mindful.
Begin . . . just begin.
Peace and Love, Jim
