I had a birthday last month and although it was not a “milestone” it caused me to think about all the things I have done throughout my lifetime. Funny how as you get older you look at things a little differently than when you were younger.
There is a poem that I always go back to when I think about the meaning and value of my life. The poem is called “The Dash” by Linda Ellis. The dash represents the dates between birth and death on a tombstone. It symbolizes a person’s life on earth and the focus is on living, loving and making the most of the time we have. It suggests how a life lived with purpose and love leaves a lasting impact.
To cultivate a more meaningful and productive life, I have moved more into meditation and mindfulness. Our attitude can have a significant impact on our experiences. If we are upset, simple tasks might become frustrating. If we’re in a cheerful mood, we might deal with upsetting news a little easier.
Attitude influences our perspective, our emotions, and ultimately the way we experience the world around us. There are attitude foundations that work together and set the stage for a mindfulness practice. All help with learning more about who we are, to build resilience, cope with stress, gain confidence and understand the world.
These foundations are a beginner’s mind, non-judgment, acceptance, letting go, non-striving, patience, and trust. The following gives you some ideas on how this works to help with a mindfulness practice.
Beginner’s Mind
As we approach any experience, we need to keep a beginner’s mind. This allows us to experience something as though it were our first time. Our experiences shape our perspectives whether you had a good or bad experience in the past, or even if you have preconceived ideas about what will happen in unfamiliar situations, a beginner’s mind takes an open-minded approach to how we experience the world.
Non-Judgement
We bring judgement into our experiences subconsciously, so practicing non-judgement is learned over time. By taking the position to be impartial and just witness our experience, then we can approach situations allowing them to be what they are and give us a better understanding.
Acceptance, Letting Go and Non-Striving
Acceptance allows us to live in the present and see things as they are rather than how we want them to be. Letting go is releasing our attachment, clinging to ideas, thoughts, or things that we perceive as good or bad. Non-striving is the cultivation of non-doing or not working to achieve any particular experience. You are allowing things to be as they are and not the way you want them to be.
Patience
Patience allows you to pay attention and find the moments of detail and notice sensations. It may allow you to find a deeper understanding on several levels and different experiences.
Trust
We find trust in the body. You trust that your breath will keep you alive, and trust that your heart will keep pumping. With this trust, we can also find a foundation to build better confidence in ourselves, our mind and our decisions. While we learn to trust ourselves, we find trust for others as well.
All these foundational attitudes raise a more meaningful connection for a better understanding of your place in the world. It can influence our perspective, our emotions, and ultimately the way we experience the world around us. The practice of mindfulness meditation can bring awareness of our actions and their impact on our life and the life of others.
Contact me if you are interested in learning more about mindfulness meditation.
“Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.” – Siddhārtha Gautama
Robin Anne Griffiths, E-RYT 200, YACEP * Behavioral Change Specialist * Yoga Instructor * Meditation Facilitator * Personal Trainer * Author * Speaker *
